Moving on Without You
by diellemabelle
Summary: Set during/after canon ending. She was "saved" but when Serah returns to 500 AF, she finds out that the people she had come to depend on are gone. Serah x Noel. Ch20 - I'd rather pretend: A mysterious communication device, a familiar voice… how is this possible? Trapped on the roof of the Academy HQ, Serah and the others can only hope for divine intervention. Spoilers in reviews!
1. Lightning, the Guardian of Time

_**Author's Note: **This chapter focuses on Lightning in Valhalla, but the rest of the story mainly follows Serah and Noel.  
_

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: In Valhalla, Lightning gives up her own future so that others might have one.  
_

**Chapter 1: Lightning, the Guardian of Time**

**[Day 00_]  
**

* * *

Angst - (noun): the dread caused by man's awareness that his future is not determined but must be freely chosen.

* * *

After defeating Caius in a bloody battle for what she hoped was the last time, Lightning caught her breath in ragged gasps as she looked up at the ancient crystal throne of Etro. Her muscles ached and a gash on her shoulder was bleeding steadily. The mangled corpse of her rival lay to her right, no longer breathing and the glow of his red heart fading. When she first arrived in Valhalla, she had pledged her life to protect the world from the chaos that Caius wished to unleash in hopes to atone for the suffering she had caused the people of Cocoon. The guilt for the millions that died the day Cocoon fell burned in her heart even now, and she was no less dedicated to her cause than that first day she knelt at the throne. The seemingly endless fighting, the exhaustion and the pain was nothing to her, she would take it all and keep going because she had people worth fighting for.

It was the goddess herself who saw Lightning's determination to set things right, and granted her the power to defeat Caius. All seeing, all knowing, Etro found in her the warrior that she needed. So, in her own effort to protect the mortal realm from the unseen realm, the goddess granted Lightning a piece of her soul. Lightning was changed that day, and would never be the same again. Within her dwelled the Will of the goddess.

Dark tendrils of smoke rose from Caius' body. But, instead of getting to his feet and laughing at her pathetic attempts to kill him, as he had wont to do; this time his body shattered, and the particles were swept up by the dark wind and disappeared. Too tired to be shocked, Lightning scoffed as his existence was extinguished. _Good riddance._

In front of her, on the ancient stone pavement, another body appeared. This one was smaller. As it materialized, Lightning's heart fluttered, recognizing her sister's small frame. "Serah!" she cried as she rushed to kneel at her side. Her mouth agape, Lightning propped her little sister up in her lap, looking her over for any damage, anything that she could mend. But Serah's body was unscathed. Worried, Lightning shook her lightly, and Serah's eyes slid open. The warrior gasped in horror. Her eyes. They were occluded by a large symbol.

It was true.

"No, Serah," Lightning was overwhelmed with fear. Her sister had been blessed – no, _cursed_ - with the eyes of Etro, another piece of the goddess. Despite her open eyes, Serah was unresponsive. She lay in her sister's lap, doll-like, lifeless. It was her fault, thought Lightning; she had killed her own sister.

"No, no, no. This isn't right. Serah, you weren't supposed to die!" She had been tricked, swindled. No one had told her that those who held a piece of Etro were doomed. But now she saw it. She saw everything. It was her choice what to do next.

So she strode towards that ancient throne, leaving her sister where she lay, climbed the steps with conviction and sat down in the place of power. If Etro wanted a guardian, she was going to get one. Lightning opened herself to the power of the goddess, unafraid. She realized that a mortal should never rise to the power of a god, and that it would probably kill her. In a way, she wanted it to. The splintered pieces of Etro, her Eyes and the Heart of Chaos were drawn to her, and she embraced them both.

Power surged through her body like liquid light and she laughed in triumph. This was what she had been fighting towards ever since she was removed from her time. The years of the timeline spread out before her. How odd it was, she mused, to be handed the powers of a god, all seeing, all knowing, and power enough to change the world to her will, yet still to have a mortal mind. Still influenced by human emotion. It was a cruel joke.

Temptation captivated her: Etro had the power to sort the living from the dead, as well as to see everything that was, is and will be. Now that power was hers. However, it was altering the timeline in the first place that brought about the death of the goddess. All Lightning wanted was to find a purpose and to be strong enough to protect those she cared for. Now, she had it. Power and purpose. She would protect the timeline with the power of Etro. It was a small thing to her, to quell the chaos that threatened the mortal realm and she did it without moving a finger. Next, she did the one thing that Etro had been too afraid to do. She sealed the gate between the unseen and mortal realms; effectively closing herself off from the rest of the world. Never again, would a soul wash up on the shores of Valhalla, to be greeted by the goddess that gave them their spirit.

Alas, no human is up to the task of sitting in for a god. Selfishly, Lightning could not help but to return her sister from the land of the dead. It had been her fault that Serah had been brought into this conflict, and by her command had she been bestowed the Eyes of Etro. On that, she took the blame. So now, she would do her penance. As she made it so, her body began to crystallize, rising slowly from her feet and up her legs. As the liquid crystal hardened over her neck, she saw Serah's soul return to her body, her eye flutter, and a smile form on her pink lips. "Thank you, Claire" she said.

Sitting on the goddess' throne, guarding the eternal shores from those wishing to tamper with the timeline, was a crystal warrior. Her face frozen in the happiest moment of her life. Forever.


	2. In Absence of Chaos

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: Serah is returned to 500 AF and the chaos of her heart. _**  
**

**Chapter 2: In the Absence of Chaos**

**[Day 000_]  
**

* * *

Chaos - (noun): the infinity of space or formless matter supposed to have preceded the existence of the ordered universe.

* * *

Serah's eyes fluttered and opened wide. Turbulence told her she was still on the airship piloted by her friend Sazh, the same place she had passed out. Noel's arms were around her, his head bowed in anguish. She smiled, glad to be alive. "Thank you, Claire" she whispered. Over Noel's protective arms, Serah looked out on the world she thought she had saved… and saw chaos. Her horrified gasp brought Hope and Noel's attention to her. Absolute joy was written on both of their faces.

She couldn't imagine what they saw in her expression.

"Damn it Serah, you scared us!" Noel said, his voice still thick from the unshed tears. He helped her to sit on her own, though he still kept a hand at her back, in case she wasn't stable. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, he was so ecstatic to see her alive.

Hope put his hand on her shoulder, needing to make contact, relieved she was alive. Mog was still in his arms, motionless. Her gaze drew the two men to look at the small creature. "He just kind of faded away after you passed out, Serah." Hope said as he handed her the moogle.

All around them time gates were appearing and it seemed that Valhalla's shores were lapping up against the new world, Bhunivelze. "What happened?" She asked, panicked. "I thought we had fixed the paradox!"

"Serah…" was all Noel could get out. The pain in his eyes had weight, and they were pleading her to understand. In truth, no one knew why the world seemed to be tearing itself apart.

"It all happened at once," Hope explained. "Just as I joined you, you seemed to have a vision and passed out. Then the sky darkened and the world started to change. This fog, it crept all around us and obscured the lights of Bhunivelze. It feels sinister, but nothing bad has happened yet."

"I killed the goddess," Noel bemoaned. How could he live with this soul-crushing guilt? He had meant to save the timeline to bring about a brighter future for the human race, but instead he'd done the complete opposite, destroying the timeline and bringing chaos into the world.

"You didn't," Serah reassured him.

"Serah, I killed Caius." Noel looked down at his hands. The hands of a murderer.

"No," she soothed, grasping his hands in hers. "Noel, Caius killed himself. I saw it. There was nothing you could do."

Her guardian shook his head, brown hair covering his eyes.

Bitter thoughts filled Serah's mind. _Lightning why did you send me back to this broken world? To show me what my sacrifice was worth?_

A flash of white light tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderclap so deep the airship beneath them thrummed as if it had been hit. Everyone's eyes were drawn upwards to the sky, which seemed to have developed a great vortex that was sucking in all of the darkness and chaos. Wind whipped all around Noel, Serah and Hope, but its force didn't pull them into the void. A tendril of black smoke reached out from the vortex and grabbed Mog from Serah's arms. "No, Mog!" Serah shouted as the creature was torn from her grip and pulled into the swirling hole.

Arms outstretched, Serah's mind raced for some way to retrieve her friend. "C'mon, Sazh," she yelled desperately, banging on the airship. "We have to go after him!" She looked at Noel, then Hope, both of whom wore motionless, sad expressions on their faces. Hope shook his head.

"No. Guys. We can't give up on him!" Tears soaked her cheeks, and she wiped them away angrily.

As she considered trying to summon a wyvern to fly her there, the hole in the atmosphere closed. It was like a giant fist also closed on her heart. The wind died down, leaving them all in bright sunlight. Mog was gone. Everything else, however, was still there. Bhunivelze still floated ahead of them. The city of Academia below was returned to its former glory, no longer marred by the decaying structures that made up Valhalla.

"Everyone ok up there?" questioned Sazh's voice from the intercom. No one said anything. "Well, I'm heading back to Academia to drop off the crystal ladies. So hold on or get off."

As much as Hope wanted to reassure Serah that this was the best they could have hoped for, the words died in his mouth. She had lost so much. The strain of her journey and the burden of saving the world were taking their toll on her. Her hysterical sobbing was only just subsiding. Getting Noel's attention, he motioned for them to climb down into the airship's cockpit. Noel nodded, and tried to lift Serah to a standing position.

"Are you ok to walk?" he asked softly, ignoring her tears because that's what she would have wanted him to do.

Though distracted, Serah managed to nod and steady her feet beneath her. She took one step, and then another. If she could save the world, she could do anything now.


	3. All the Little Pieces

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: Life was different now. But it was the little pieces that were missing most of all. _**  
**

**Chapter 3: All the little pieces**

**[Day 1: Three months later]  
**

* * *

Piece – (noun): a portion of a whole.

* * *

It was hard to start again. Returning to anything resembling a normal life required Serah to first accept everything that had happened, as well as everything that had gone wrong. She had traveled across the world and over eons to find Lightning, but despite every effort she made, she saw her only briefly. In dreams she heard her sister's crystal promise to never forget her. The only way she could move on, the only motivation she had, was Lightning's wish "_It's up to you to keep hope alive."_ So she clung to a desperate hope that Lightning was still out there. And she moved on.

Life was different now. Time had passed and the NORA headquarters that she once called home had turned to dust centuries ago. Her students, long dead. Serah knew that she was different, too. After everything that had happened she felt she should be stronger. Bitter thoughts often surfaced in her mind, yearning for the life she _could_ have lived if everything had gone according to plan. But when the reality of her situation threatened to overwhelm her, she told herself that this was just another chapter in her life's journey rather than the end. As long as she took it day by day, things would work out. At least she had Noel and Hope and even Sazh and Dajh to keep her company and keep her level. She forced herself to keep living.

But it was the little pieces that were missing. She'd go to change into her favorite t-shirt and it wouldn't be in her closet. No one understood her quotes from her favorite TV show "The Cactuar Files". They didn't sell her brand of toothpaste anymore. She'd reach for Snow's hand… and it wasn't there.

* * *

- go to pieces: to lose control of oneself; to become emotionally or physically upset.

* * *

Serah frowned at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Despite all the changes she's experienced on the inside, she still looked the same on the outside. She still put her hair in a side ponytail, even though it had been Snow who had told her it looked cute that way. All of a sudden it wasn't right. Any of it. She ran to the laundry room and grabbed the bleach. Leaning over the bathtub, she poured the liquid over her head generously. By altering her hair color, she hoped that people would understand that she wasn't the same Serah anymore. Her world had changed and there was nothing she could do about it.

There was a knock at the door to her apartment. Serah ignored it. However, the person on the other side wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Serah I know you're in there."

The bleach smelled horrible. The scent must have wafted past the door because all of a sudden the lock clicked and Noel was running into the bathroom.

"Serah, what are you doing?"

"I needed a change."

Noel ran to the window and opened it. Then he capped the bleach and took it away from her.

"Don't you know that those fumes are dangerous?" Then he looked at her beautiful pink hair… now turning white.

He led her out of the bathroom and into the fresher air of the kitchen. He then shoved her head under the kitchen faucet.

"Hold your breath," he said as he began to rinse out the bleach.

Her hair was brittle under his calloused fingers. As he rinsed her hair, Serah just stood there, saying nothing. It pained Noel to see her act so irrationally.

When he was sure all of the chemical was washed away from her skin, Noel turned off the faucet. Serah leaned over the stainless steel sink and squeezed the water out of her hair. As she straightened up, she looked Noel right in the eye, defiantly. Silence stretched between them as Noel debated whether to yell at her or make a joke about her new hair color. Neither seemed appropriate. Besides, his eyes really said everything he couldn't. _What were you thinking? Should I be worried?_

Refusing to answer his unasked question, Serah walked back to the bathroom to get a towel. Walking away was her way of telling him to drop it.

The man shook his head as he leaned both elbows on her dark granite countertop. Looking down at his reflection he considered what she_ had_ said. A change? Hadn't there been enough change lately? He was more interested in things staying the same for a while.

It had been three months since the timeline had been restored. While Serah, Noel, Hope, Sazh and Dajh had been reunited in 500 AF, Snow had not managed to find them before the time gates closed. The crystal statues of Fang and Vanille had been brought to Academia, in hopes that scientific research could one day bring them back to life. Though no one quite understood how she knew it, Serah claimed Lightning was also turned to crystal in Valhalla. In a way it was remarkable that _any_ of the seven original l'Cie had managed to stick together over 500 years, but for all of them to find each other, save two… it was bordering on the miraculous.

The year 500 AF was unfamiliar to all of them. Sure, Hope had been there maybe a week, maybe a year before Serah, Noel and Sazh, but it was still just as foreign to him. New customs, new styles, new music… It would take some getting used to. But more than that, was the fact that no one they had ever known remained, whether a neighbor or acquaintance or even a well-known celebrity. All they had were each other, and that brought them closer together than ever before. The five of them had become a pseudo-family.

Additionally, their ancient gil was not recognized at the bank. It would have been a major problem if it hadn't been for Hope. Through his connections to the Academy, and savvy investment banking, had managed to set each of them up with their own apartments in the city of Academia. In fact, by his planning ahead during his experience with forward time travel, his savings account abounded and he was now a multi-billionaire.

So for the first few months, they just settled in and got their bearings. Serah began by settling into her new home, buying furniture and clothing, filling the fridge and the pantry. Noel helped as much as he could, though shopping malls and grocery stores were more unfamiliar to him, coming from a small tribal village. Visiting the Academy building almost daily was a way for her to keep in touch with Hope and the others. By Sazh's recommendation, they all had a key to each other's apartments… in case anything should happen. It had been a rough transition for him, especially.

As Serah dried her hair, she remembered the day she had visited Sazh, to drop off some muffins she had baked for him and Dajh. When he didn't answer the door or his cellphone, Serah let herself in, only to find him passed out on the kitchen floor. Terrified, Serah had called for an ambulance and remained by his side until he woke up. Turns out he had taken two incompatible heart medications because he couldn't read the instructions. They were in "New Pulsian", a language that hadn't existed 500 years ago. If she hadn't been there, hadn't had her key… She wouldn't allow herself to even think it.

* * *

-pick up the pieces: redeem a bad situation; restore matters to normal.

* * *

Noel was still in the kitchen when she returned. He hadn't bothered to turn on the lights, and it was dark now that the sun was setting. Dark blue eyes looked up at her, and she felt them willing her to say something.

"I'm fine, Noel," she said reassuringly, earning her a smile from her friend. "I just…"

"Had a blonde moment?" Noel joked, snickering. He knew what she was going through, and just hearing that she was still in control was all he needed.

"Y-yeah," Serah said, smiling weakly. What was it about Noel, that he always knew how to bring her out of her ruts?

Reaching over, Serah turned on the lights. They both blinked against the brightness until their eyes adjusted. "What's up, why are you here?"

"Well obviously you needed a stylist," the brunette replied, stroking his own shiny locks. "Though I don't know why you didn't just use commercial hair dye. It comes with a special conditioner that keeps your hair shiny and manageable."

"Umm… what?"

"I was reading boxes of hair dye while you were looking for toothpaste yesterday. I learned a lot," he grinned. "But enough of that. I came here with a job opportunity."

"A job?" Serah had been wondering how long they could go without having to work. According to Hope, the answer was forever. He promised to provide them with the money to do whatever they wished, as long as they liked. But in order to move on, Serah felt like her life needed purposeful work. She'd already volunteered her time at the homeless shelter, babysat Dajh whenever Sazh was away, and baked through an entire cookbook. It wasn't enough.

Unfortunately, her training as a teacher was obsolete. Even for young children. The language had evolved, and she wasn't even sure the alphabet was the same anymore. And history? She was a few centuries behind. She had been learning as much as she could, and watched the news in order to get herself up to speed on the state of the world she was living in, but it was overwhelming to think about teaching anyone right now.

"What kind of job?"

"The only kind we're especially suited for," Noel winked at her. "Monster taming!"

"Like at the zoo?" Serah asked, incredulous.

"No, no, no. Like hunting, but without the bloody part. Remember fighting Behemoths, Silver Lobos and Bunkerbeasts? It'll be just like old times," Noel was brimming with excitement.

Getting swept along with his enthusiasm, she wondered, "Who needs a monster tamer?"

"The Academy. Hope mentioned that they took over military operations from the Sanctum and Guardian Corps long ago, and it is pretty much the ruling government right now. A group of Academy researchers found some old ruins about a day's ride from here. The area was overrun by monsters, and they needed someone to deal with them in the most humane way possible. Obviously they didn't want to send in a military unit, because they'd come in guns blazin' and possibly damage parts of the ruins in the foray."

"So you signed us up?" Serah asked, though she knew the answer.

"You bet."

When she had imagined her ideal future, it had never included fighting monsters as an occupation. But then, she'd never considered time traveling or meeting a moogle would be part of her life either. There was a lot that Serah had never thought she'd have to deal with. When it came down to it though, her old life didn't fit her anymore. This was something she could do, and, when she admitted it to herself, wanted to do.

"Alright, let's do it," nodded the blonde Serah. If they were going to work together, Noel figured he might as well get used to her new hair color.

"There's one thing I still need to do here, though." Serah said softly. She grasped the pendant that still hung around her neck.

Noel nodded in understanding. "Are you sure?"

"It's time."

The crescent moon provided little light as the two hunters climbed the hill. They were outside the city now, and surrounded by blowing grass and wild flowers. The wind sighed past them and out above the ocean. A single tree grew atop the hill. This was where Serah would come to wait for Snow, ever since she had returned from her journey. She would sit under the tree and imagine him rising into view, first his headband, then his smiling face and finally his trademark trench coat. Her hero. Home at last. Serah tried to be strong, ignoring the tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall.

It was never going to happen. Not in this timeline.

In front of the oak tree, the blonde knelt and started digging. Noel moved to help her but she shook her head. Her gloves were off, and it wasn't until her hands were caked with dirt that she decided the hole was deep enough. With a heavy sigh, Serah reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace Snow had given her when he proposed. Setting it gently into the hole, she whispered "I'll never forget you." With one hand she returned the earth, covering the necklace. The other hand was braced on the oak tree for support. Despite having filled this hole with soil, there was nothing to fill the hole in her heart.


	4. Orientation

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: Serah tries to express herself by changing her appearance, but to those that know her, it seems like she's just running away. _**  
**

**Chapter 4: Orientation**

**[Day 2]  
**

* * *

Orientation – (noun): an introduction, as to guide one in adjusting to new surroundings, employment or activity.

* * *

The next morning Serah cut her hair. Even with conditioning, it was in a sorry state. Dry, brittle, unmanageable, she laughed as she thought of what Noel had said about the special conditioner. In any case it hardly held a curl anymore. The change she had so desired was now getting drastic, she hardly recognized herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair barely reached her shoulders now.

She dressed herself in a new outfit she had bought; the shop keeper had called it "style and steel". The top reminded her of a military or naval uniform, dark blue with two rows of silver buttons marching up the front. With it she wore jean shorts and a studded belt. She smiled at her reflection in her full length mirror. Now this was what she wanted. She felt different, confident and maybe a little aggressive.

When she met Noel at the Academy HQ, he gave her a once over but said nothing.

The early morning light found the two prospective monster tamers in the briefing room. There were five others who wanted to join up, four men and one woman, and they were all seated around the table. At the head of the table was Hope, honorary Director of the Academy, who was now standing and commending them all for their interest in the mission. He explained the operation from the perspective of a researcher: some ruins had been found which might have connections to the ancient civilization of the Farseers. It was too dangerous to send in further personnel because the area was overrun by monsters.

"Beasts," corrected a young woman with short black hair. "Creatures, maybe. But definitely not _monsters_."

"My apologies miss…"

"Ardea Takeda. Senior field biologist of the Academy Classification Team."

"Miss Takeda, thank you for the clarification. The area is overrun by feral beasts, which is impeding the progress of excavation. Your job," Hope continued as he looked at each face in turn, "is to clear the area of dangerous creatures so that research can continue in a timely manner."

Hope then indicated the man at the foot of the table. "This is General Mathis of the military branch of the Academy. He will go over the details of the mission. Thank you once again for your interest; I'll leave the rest of the meeting in his hands." Hope gave a wave/salute to Noel and Serah before leaving the room.

General Mathis looked them over critically. What a rag-tag bunch this team turned out to be. To his left was a punk kid in a baseball hat, the biologist and a man with longer hair than most women. To his right was a pretty young girl sitting beside a man who he guessed was her boyfriend, a muscle-bound giant of a man and, by his request, a promising young sergeant named George Evans. He nodded to the sergeant.

"The mission is simple. Protect the interests of the Academy. That's number one. Our interests include the physical ruins themselves as well as any and all personnel involved in their excavation. Secondly, you are to remove the _beasts_," he emphasized for the biologist's sake, "in the most humane way possible. The goal is to have zero casualties on either side. That means," he paused, giving them all serious eye contact, "that you don't get into a situation that you cannot handle. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" responded the Sergeant and the muscle-bound man.

"Yup!" "Yeah." and "Crystal." were also heard from the group. It wasn't quite the response he was looking for, but the General figured that it would do for now.

"Sergeant George Evans," the General indicated the man with short light brown hair, "will be in charge of the operation. Once he deems the area is safe, the excavation process will continue. At this point, your role will change from monster tamer," a cough was heard from Ardea, "to security patrol. I understand that you may all have different techniques to deal with the monsters, but as a member of the Academy I must stress that the mission objective is not to kill any of them.

"At this point, I'll give the floor to Sergeant Evans to discuss tactics. In the morning you will be flown to the excavation site. If you choose to sign up, the tour will last approximately six months. Sergeant."

"Thank you, General Mathis," Evans said graciously. Everyone's attention turned to him, though the General did not leave the room. "I'd like to start with introductions." He looked down at the sign-up sheet. "Ok, alphabetically, Farron, Serah?"

Causally, Serah answered "Hi," and on a whim she added, "You can call me Lightning."

Noel made a snort of displeasure.

"Lightning, then, nice to meet you. Why don't you share with us why you want to join this mission?" And when she hesitated, he reassured her, "No need to be shy. No one else is military here, so don't feel like there's any pressure."

"Well," Serah said, "I just thought I should do my part. I don't really have a job right now, and this is something that I'm good at."

Sergeant Evans nodded. "And what makes you qualified to be a beast tamer?"

"My friend Noel and I have tamed many creatures during an adventure together," she said gathering a handful of monster crystals from her satchel and displaying them on the table. The others leaned forward in interest.

"Well, you came highly recommended from the Director himself," Evans noted, of which the others seemed impressed. "OK, next we have Ash Kenwood."

"Yo," waved the kid in the baseball hat.

"Ash, why do you want to join this team?"

He smiled, "I just believe that every creature has a unique personality. Just like people. I wanted to protect them. And catch 'em all, of course."

And so it went, each person having their own reasons for joining the group. The large man, Blaze Pitman, turned out to be ex-military, and this was the one mission that he could join without having to re-enlist. Then there was Ardea, who wanted to compile a complete bestiary for the Academy, and Flint Westerbrook who seemed a little bit like a hippie. Apparently he'd lived in the wilderness and understood the value of conservation.

"From your diverse backgrounds we'll have to establish a battle plan…"

It was late afternoon when the meeting finally adjourned. Walking out of the room, Serah felt overwhelmed by the amount of information she was expected to remember. About halfway through the meeting, when asked what kind of weapon she used, she'd frozen up. _Mog…_ Noel had covered for her, saying she was looking for a new weapon, and asked if the Academy had any bows or swords that she could use. Sergeant Evans agreed to escort them to the arsenal after the meeting, and offered them access to the training facility for the rest of the day.

Serah and Noel followed the sergeant through a maze of corridors and buildings until they came upon the room in which the weapons were kept. The Academy had quite a collection. Guns of all sorts hung on the walls and from the ceiling while swords stood in racks along the periphery of the room. Glass display cases featured the Omega weapons. Serah was immediately drawn to an Omega gunblade. Her eyes lit up as she imagined herself wielding the thing.

Evans chuckled. "A little advanced for your first time, don't you think?" He led her over to the collection of gunblades. "These have been standard issue for exceptional soldiers since the days of the Guardian Corps," he said indicating the Blazefire Sabre. A pang of nostalgia tore through Serah as she recognized Lightning's weapon. _Was this what she wanted: a tribute to her sister?_ Further down the aisle of gunblades, a barrel made of shiny black and gold metal caught her eye. Serah tentatively lifted the Axis Blade off the rack and tested it for its weight.

"Ah yes, the Axis: built for speed and ease of movement in the field. Good choice." Evans then scratched his head, "But I thought you said you were interested in bow and arrow or a sword?"

"I've been using a bow and arrow for a while now…" or at least, the _old_ me had, she thought. "But I really would like to try this out, if that's ok?"

"By all means," replied the sergeant. "There's a shooting range nearby. I can give you a little tutorial on how it works."

Evans showed her how the blade folded out with a downwards flick of his wrist. Another flick, and it was back to gun form. "This weapon combines both the melee style combat you'd get with a sword and the long range a gun can provide. Only one style can be used at a time. The most skilled fighters can alternate between the forms with a flick of their wrist."

Serah tried to transform the gun into a sword, to no avail.

"Aha, see it has a safety feature," he said indicating a small knob on the hilt. "This switch allows you to transform the weapon. Without it, the Axis is locked in gun form. But if you flip it," he showed her, "now you can change form."

Serah tried flicking her wrist now, and to her surprise, it easily transformed.

"The transformation doesn't require a lot of force. That is, as long as you oil it regularly. Did you hear the click? That means the Axis is now locked in sword mode. To transform between blade and gun, you must flip the switch to unlock it.

"It's common to see a gunblade user flourish their blade in battle, rotating their wrist. This is because older models had a faulty safety switch, so they got used to continually flicking their wrists to ensure the blade was out and steady. It is not necessary to do so with this newer model, but some soldiers do it anyway, because the click can be hard to hear during a battle."

Next he showed her how to load the gun. Then he set her up at the firing range. At first, Serah found it hard to hold the gunblade steady in one hand.

Evans casually reached his arms around her, placing her free hand on the bottom of the barrel. Noel looked away. Serah blushed. "It's best to fire two-handed, like this, until you build up strength in your firing arm."

It became obvious that she'd never used a gun before, but her aim with a bow was always dead on. After a few rounds, Serah was hitting the target every time. Evans was impressed. Noel was bored. The men headed to the cafeteria for supper, Noel promised to bring her back something, and she continued to practice.

After supper, the sergeant suggested she try sparring to get a better handle on the gunblade. They headed over to the coliseum where training exercises could be viewed by the general public. It usually wasn't busy unless a well-known soldier was training or if an exhibition match was scheduled. Sergeant Evans left them with a salute, "See you two tomorrow." And to Noel he added, smirking, "Don't be too rough with her, now."

Ignoring him, Noel entered the ring and faced Serah with both his blades out. "Are you ready?"

To be sure, Serah gave the gunblade two more test-flicks, convincing herself she was comfortable with the weapon. They had loaded the gun with safety rounds, so that she could try shooting without injuring Noel severely. Nodding in his direction, she positioned herself with her arms above her head and the blade pointing downwards. She tried to emulate how she'd seen Lightning move. "Ready!" she shouted to her companion.

It had been awhile since they'd sparred together, her and Noel. When they'd met, she'd never been in a battle before, so the training had been gradual. Noel had obviously been holding back, so as not to destroy her confidence, but he would always give her a challenge. He never let her win. He explained that, in his experience, an unmerited victory would only give a sense of false confidence. Throughout their journey, the battles got tougher, until one day in Oerba 400 AF she actually beat him. With her sword at Noel's throat, and sweat dripping down her spine, she'd smiled and he laughed. Since that day, they hadn't fought each other again. Too much happened all at once and they hadn't had any free time until after Caius was defeated. After Mog had disappeared, she didn't have the heart to fight anymore.

So when Noel came at her at full speed, Serah was surprised. She had expected them to return to square one. A jolt of adrenaline helped her to deflect his initial attack with her blade. Muscle memory warned her that his usual opening was followed by an attack with his second, larger blade. And just as he spun around, Serah jumped back and the massive sword barely missed her cheek. Next he'd try a stabbing motion unless she had her guard up. Automatically, she flipped the switch on the Axis Blade and fired in his face as he turned to face her again. Noel's eyes widened as he was knocked off balance. Not quite an acrobat as her sister, Serah merely jumped backwards rather than doing a backflip, but the effect was the same and she was out of reach for now.

Temporarily out of danger, Serah wondered why Noel wasn't holding anything back.

"Noel, please, this weapon is still new to me!"

Noel wiped the blood from his face; the safety round fired at point blank range had definitely broken his nose. "What_ isn't_ new about you these days?" he said as he cast Cure on himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Noel scoffed. "_Lightning_? Really?" Noel sheathed his swords behind him. "That isn't who you are!"

Unprepared for this type of fight, Serah lowered her weapon, but had nothing to say.

The hunter stalked towards her, speaking in a low voice, like he was trying not to yell. "You think you've changed so much, but you're still the same person on the inside. You care about others to the point that you'd risk yourself. You are always hopeful and optimistic and you bring that out in others." Standing in front of her now, Noel touched her hair gently. Anger dissipated, his voice now held an edge of sadness to it, "Generous, kind and cheerful. That's who you are. You're still Serah, despite everything that has happened."

"It's hard, ok? I'm still trying to figure this out," Serah sighed.

Serious blue eyes locked on her own. "I just don't understand why you think you need to change at all. You are an incredible person. Perfect, just the way you are."

And then it hit her. Noel thought she was pulling away, but he couldn't be farther from the truth. All this time, she'd just been trying to find herself, and where she fit in this new future.

* * *

Orientation – (noun): the ability to locate oneself in one's environment with reference to time, place and people

* * *

"Noel... I'm sorry."


	5. It doesn't have to be forever

_Story: Moving on... Without You  
_

_Chapter Synopsis: The heros begin a new mission for the Academy and Noel deals with some hard truths.  
_

**Chapter 5: It doesn't have to be Forever**

**[Day 3]  
**

* * *

Forever – (noun): an endless or seemingly endless period of time.

* * *

The red earth of the canyons would be faded in the afternoon light, as their airship flew over the great desert of Pulse. Serah had seen them, studied them in awe from the flight deck of Sazh's ship many times before. This time, however, the team of _beast_ tamers had been confined to the cargo bay for the entirety of the trip. All, that is, except Noel. This part of the ship had no windows, and within 10 minutes he discovered he suffered from motion sickness. So Sergeant Evans had allowed Noel to remain in the cockpit, where he could see where the airship was going.

Dozing off now and then, Serah said little and thought a lot. The goodbyes she'd said to Sazh, Dajh and Hope this morning had been brief and lighthearted. Or at least, that's what she'd been going for. She didn't want to dwell on the fact that she wouldn't see her "family" for six months, so she'd tried to look forward instead, to when she would return to them. After losing so many important people in her life, she wanted more than anything to keep those she loved close to her at all times. At least Noel was with her. He understood these feelings better than anyone. Losing her family was one thing, but Noel had seen everyone he'd ever cared for die right in front of him.

The other team members were just as quiet in their cavernous metal cage. They all seemed to have something on their minds. Ash had brought a Nanochu with him, and was teaching it how to play a card game. It looked like "go fish". The man who had barely said anything at the meeting yesterday, Blaze Pitman, had his head back and eyes shut while he listened to something through headphones. His large shoulders were relaxed and his legs stretched out in front of him, but a tension in his neck suggested that he was not asleep. For a while Serah wondered whether he was listening to music or a book on tape, or maybe just white noise. It made her smile to think he was listening to the children's song "Chelsea's Bubbles".

The smile earned her a look of interest from the biologist, Ardea, who raised a sharp eyebrow at Serah's mirth. The blonde shook her head, unable to articulate what was so funny.

However, Ardea took it as an invitation to communicate further and moved to sit beside her. "Hi, how are you today? Lightning is what you like to be called, right?" Ardea asked pointedly.

Confused at first, Serah was about to correct her. Then she remembered what she'd said at the meeting. With that memory came a wash of shame. What had come over her that day?

"No, call me Serah," she said to the dark haired woman. Immediately she saw her scribble something down on the tablet computer she always seemed to have with her. "What's that?" she asked indicating said tablet.

"Just some notes," Ardea replied off-handedly, her head bent over its screen. "And Noel… he's your boyfriend?" she questioned, with the same nonchalant attitude.

"What? Oh, n-no. It's not like that," Serah waved her hands in front of her, embarrassed.

The woman crossed something out and continued to write furiously.

"Wait," Serah said, getting the woman's attention for a moment. "Are you taking notes on me? And Noel?"

Smiling, the biologist put down her stylus and gave Serah her full attention. "Of course. It's good practice for my research."

"Don't let her bother you," Ash said, taking interest in their conversation. "She's one of those science-types. I don't think she can turn it off, if you know what I mean." Pointing at his Nanochu he said, "Every time she comes near Nanu she tries to take a DNA sample!"

"In my defence," Ardea replied hotly, narrowing her dark brown eyes, "the Nanochu is an endangered species. If I had a DNA sample it could be possible to clone the creature and implant the fetus into a female of a similar species, such as the Microchu. Sorry for trying to re-establish a dying breed!"

"He has a name, you know!"

A wicked smile came to the biologist's lips, "Oh, I know. His name is Nanu. All too similar to the name of your stuffed chocobo that you've had since you were three; Chochu, right?" Mocking him, she raised her eyebrows as if she felt sorry for him, "It seems your sentimentality is eclipsed by your lack of creativity."

Ash's face burned with embarrassment.

Seeing that Ash would no longer interfere, Ardea turned again to Serah, who cringed slightly. This woman was aggressive in her pursuit of data, and not even stuffed chocobos were sacred. All of a sudden the flight seemed to take forever. Normally, Serah loved meeting new people and making friends, but this woman made her uncomfortable. Even still, it would be worse to have Ardea as an enemy, Serah thought with a sigh. So she tried to chat with Ardea, giving her evasive or non-committal answers, hoping that she'd eventually lose interest. Unfortunately for Serah, Ardea's interest should never be underestimated, she had memorized the preferred prey of all known stalker-type creatures (triffids, etc.), afterall.

Consulting her tablet, Ardea asked: "So how long have you been unemployed?"

Serah hastily changed the subject. "You said you wanted to make a complete bestiary," to which Ardea nodded. "But doesn't the Academy already have one?" asked Serah, thinking back to that horrible fragment quest her and Noel had completed.

"Well, in 400 AF the famous Dr. M did compile a list of creatures living on both Cocoon and Pulse. But the information was hardly complete," scoffed the biologist.

_After all those hours of searching, all those battles, she laughs at our efforts?!_ "What do you mean?"

"Well aside from their location and weaknesses in battle, there was no information about the creatures themselves; such as their diet, breeding habits or their anatomy - aside from a picture or two. I want to fill the gaps."

"Their anatomy... like their bones and stuff?" the biologist nodded. "How do you plan on learning all that?"

"By dissection," she replied simply.

Appalled, Serah made sure she wasn't joking. "I thought we weren't supposed to kill any beasts on this mission!"

Again, that wicked grin stretched Ardea's lips. "Well, we just won't tell the sergeant then, will we? I only need to sacrifice_ one_ of each species. I am _very_ thorough."

Imagining this young woman butchering innocent creatures, blood up to her elbows as she catalogued their bones, Serah tried not to be sick. Shaking her head to clear the image, she tried desperately to think of anything else.

Instead, Serah wondered where the other man from the meeting was. _Flint something?_ With the long hair. He was not with her, Ardea, Ash and Blaze in the cargo bay. _Could he also be in the cockpit with Noel and Sergeant Evans?_ Curiosity, boredom, but mainly fear of Ardea led Serah to explore the rest of the ship.

At the same time, Sergeant Evans was returning to let them know they were going to land in a few minutes. As the door to the cockpit opened, Serah lifted her head, and walked straight into her sergeant, who also was caught off guard. Evans caught Serah's upper arms in his hands, and kept her from falling.

Mere inches from her superior, Serah blushed, "Sorry Sergeant!" she said as she moved away awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a kind smile. "I was just coming to tell everyone that we'll be landing soon."

"Oh good," Serah said with relief, earning her a curious glance from Evans before he moved further into the cargo bay.

"We will be disembarking shortly," he told the others," once the airship has landed. Gather your personal belongings and make sure to take a survival pack as well," he indicated a shelf of black backpacks. "In the pack you will find your comm device. Keep this on your person at all times."

Serah remained by the door to the cockpit, unsure if she was allowed entry. Sergeant Evans noticed this, and with a sweep of his arms he said "After you, my lady."

So she hurried in before he changed his mind. In the cockpit was the pilot, Noel, herself and Evans. Noel gave her a smile as she joined him. "Have a good flight?"

Worn out and exhausted, despite sleeping most of the way, Serah just nodded. "Fine," she said as she glanced out at the view before her. They'd left behind the rust-colored desert and were now descending into a valley. Rocky cliffs bordered green grassy plains. To the left, a stream cascaded off the edge of the cliff, creating a misty waterfall that was almost too beautiful to be real. The view made the ship less claustrophobic and confining, so much better than the dark backside of the ship where she'd been sitting. She was a little jealous of Noel.

The pilot spoke up, "Sorry about the crappy seating back there," he said, taking off his helmet and shaking out his long blonde hair. "There isn't enough room in here for everyone, and I didn't want to go choosing favorites right off the bat." He turned and winked at her, "But if it had been up to me, you could've ridden on my lap the whole way."

"Mr. Westerbrook!" shouted Sergeant Evans. Serah gasped. Noel moved forward, as if to hit him but thought better of it.

"I'm just sayin'," he replied, shrugging as he landed them all safely.

When they arrived, they could see what Hope had meant by the place being overrun. Goblins and Cactuar were nesting near what they assumed was the temple. Uridimmu prowled the perimeter and Svarog flew overhead. Ardea identified them all with excitement. Walking out of the shadow of the airship, Serah gazed upon the crumbling stone buildings that made up the ruins. Most were mere rubble, vines growing between the shattered stones, but one lonely wall of a monolithic tower remained. It looked like it had been left behind.

Noel came to stand beside her, taking in the sight of rock and the smell of grass. It was nice to be off that ship. He looked over to see Serah observing him with a kind sadness in her eyes. Was that pity? His motion sickness hadn't been _that_ bad.

While the others stretched their legs and looked at the ruins, Flint re-entered the airship and returned with a large tent.

"We'll have to set up camp next to these cliffs, about a mile away from the ruins. That way nothing can creep up on us," he announced and started walking in the direction he'd indicated.

Sergeant Evans, however, had other plans. He called the pilot back and gathered them together to talk strategy. There were many things that needed to be done before sundown, and the main objective was to establish their camp. He also needed to consult with the researchers and excavation team.

However, while they were all together, he designated three strike teams based on creature taming methods. Serah and Noel were Strike Team 1. Their method would be to fight the creatures in order to gain their respect or to scare them out of the area. Flint and Ash were both experienced trappers, so they made up Strike Team 2. That left Ardea and Blaze. Blaze intended to sneak up on monsters and choke them into unconsciousness. Then he'd relocate them with the aid of Ardea. Flint wasn't a big fan of this plan, but Blaze assured him it wouldn't hurt the creatures and demonstrated on Flint himself.

When he came to, he was inside the tent.

Ardea busied herself taking notes and pictures of the creatures. She explained to Blaze which types of habitats would be acceptable for relocation for each species. Ash snuck off to try and catch some creatures before Flint regained consciousness because he was sure he'd slow him down.

Sergeant Evans established radio contact with HQ. Then he met with the researchers on site to determine which area was a priority to clear, and which could be left for later.

Noel stayed close to Evans, more interested in the progress of the research and what they knew about the ancient civilization. "How old do think these ruins are?" he asked the two researchers.

"It's hard to say, maybe 200 years old?" the male researcher scratched his head. "We _were_ under the impression that the Farseers became nomadic after their civil war centuries ago. But here we have a city built of stone, similar to the Paddra ruins."

"So they settled here for a long time then?" _They_ – he thought: his tribe. His ancestors.

"Yeah, that's what it looks like."

"Have you found an Oracle Drive?" Serah asked curiously. Wondering what an ancient record of the future would show now that the timeline has been repaired.

The two researchers look her over with interest. "No, but we suspect there could be one buried in the rubble of the shrine. That's why we want to excavate the whole city, which has been partially buried due to rock slides and wind-blown sand accumulation."

Unfamiliar with the concept of the Oracle Drive, the sergeant asked a lot of questions. Many of them were directed to Serah and Noel, as it turned out the Academy was quite secretive about the device; its function and contents were on a need-to-know basis in the Academy. The researchers themselves had only been made aware of its existence by the Director when it seemed likely that one could be hidden within the ruins.

That night, as she lay down in her sleeping bag Serah wondered what kind of day tomorrow would be.

True dark enveloped the inside of the tent. Serah sat up, awake as if she hadn't slept at all, and couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. Reaching over to her friend next to her, she was surprised to find his blankets empty. Slowly, making as little noise as possible, she tip-toed around the sleeping frames of the others and out of the tent. It was just as dark outside, but looking up Serah was greeted by the diamond dust of stars blanketing the heavens. Thinking back, she hadn't looked up at the stars since her journey with Noel, all those months ago. _But where was he now? Was he exploring the ruins?_

Picking her way over rubble and sleeping Mewmao, she spotted him in a crumbling stone house that had lost its roof long ago. He was scratching the stone floor with his shorter sword. She watched him for a moment, wondering what he was up to. Then she realized, he was writing "Noel Kreiss was here". Though Serah didn't have much stomach for vandalism, and was sure the researchers would not be happy with them, she understood that this wasn't some childish crime. Noel was trying to send a message to his people. No. To his Yeul. If she ever came across these ruins, she'd know he was out there.

"Can't sleep?" she asked him gently, getting his attention.

Surprised, Noel shrugged, a bit ashamed that she'd caught him defacing the Academy's "interests". It had been foolish for him to think that there would be some sort of clue in this city of stone as to where the Farseers could be. Serah sat down beside him. "You miss her, don't you?"

The answer was so obvious, he didn't reply right away. Instead, he laid down and looked up at the stars. Those lights that he could not see in the bustling city of Academia. He'd missed them. "It's hard to believe that my ancestors are somewhere out there right now. That Yeul could be with them."

"But Noel…" Serah wasn't quite sure how to put her thoughts into words without hurting him further. "Your Yeul lived in the future, with you."

"Don't you think I know that?" he replied harshly, sitting up and turning his back on her. "I know it's futile… I just thought, since the timeline changed…" quiet, lonely tears stung his eyes but made no appearance.

She knew exactly what it was like, hoping for the impossible. But her guardian had helped her get through her time of grief; she had to help him move on as well.

"You said that you were different from Caius," she said in a soft voice, touching his shoulder. "You said you didn't want to live in a dream."

_I'm going to find her. My Yeul. It doesn't have to be forever._

"Don't you understand? You've already found her. In your memories. And that's where she'll stay. Forever. You could travel the world looking for her, but even if you found Yeul, she might not be the same soul that captured your heart…"

Noel shrugged off her hand, but instead of looking off into the distant darkness of the plains, he looked up. Some stars were now hidden behind dark clouds, but that didn't mean they weren't still there.

* * *

Forever - (adverb) : continually, incessantly, always.

* * *

Her heart went out to him then, and she wanted desperately to remove the pain that weighed him down. After a few moments of silence, she attempted to lift his spirits. "How about, when we're done with this mission, we head out on a new journey: to find the Farseers?" Noel stirred then, enticed by the idea. "It seems like the Academy is interested in their culture and the ability of the Seeress. Maybe they'd help us find them."

"I never thought about it like that. Just go and look for them... But they could be anywhere," Noel pondered.

"Then we'll just keep looking," Serah replied with determination. "But, I have a feeling that you'll know exactly where they'd be. You are a hunter, after all, right?" She looked her friend over in the darkness; a cloud passed over the moon, making him look like a shadow of the man she knew.

"I have one question for you Noel…" he didn't say anything so she continued. "When we left Valhalla, through the gate to 500 AF…" she paused. Her heart hammered in her chest as she willed herself to ask the question that had been on her mind for months. "Why did you come with me? Why didn't you go back to 700 AF?"

The shadow-Noel breathed out a slow breath. "The same reason you didn't head back to 3 AF, I guess. I wanted to see the beginning of a new future. I wanted to see what we'd been working towards."

Reluctantly he continued in a quiet voice, "and I didn't know if my world still existed anymore. I was afraid. What if Yeul and Caius weren't there? What if I returned to the same dying world I'd left behind? I didn't want to be alone anymore."

"Neither do I." Serah said as she hugged her friend. The moon emerged from the clouds, bathing them in silver light. Forever lost, forever found, forever alone together.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** The last line here is a tribute to an amazing fic I've been reading by Exploding Dandelion called "Alone Together". It's in the Final Fantasy XIII section and is an interesting pairing of Serah and Hope. Remember to review! XD  
_


	6. Dangerous Identities

**_Author's Note:_**_ This chapter makes mention of a lot of monsters in the game FFXIII-2, and if you haven't played through or did not pay attention to their names perhaps looking up a bestiary online would help.  
_

_Story: Moving on... Without you  
_

_Chapter Summary: As their mission progresses, Serah and Noel have misgivings about some of their teammates. What are they up to?  
_

**Chapter 6: Dangerous Identities**

**[Day 4]  
**

* * *

Identity – (noun): character as to who a person is.

* * *

Morning light pushed against Serah's eyelids. As she gained consciousness, her stiff body let her know she'd fallen asleep on the hard stone of the ruined dwelling last night… and a weight around her shoulders let her know that Noel's arms were around her. A yawn pierced the air from behind her and the comforting press of his body against hers disappeared like a magic trick. Both sleepers awoke with warmth on their faces, as they tried not to look at each other.

Ardea was there, snapping pictures. "Not your boyfriend, eh?" she said with a knowing smile.

Ignoring Ardea and her questions, they shuffled back to the camp. Though it was only about an hour past dawn, the others were already up. The air was crisp but held a promise of heat later in the day. Wildlife scurried about in the long grass, nearby but never quite close enough to catch a glimpse. Sergeant Evans was standing outside the main tent, concentrating on the tablet in his hand. When he saw them, he immediately began scolding them for leaving camp at night without authorization, as well as for leaving their communication devices behind. He explained that each device was monitored by GPS so they could be used to track them if they ever got lost.

"Agent Farron, Agent Kreiss, I order you to keep your comm device on your person at all times. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sergeant!" they both replied, albeit sleepily.

"Now go find yourselves some breakfast," Evans suggested. "The researchers have a permanent camp just around this ledge," he pointed at an outcrop of the cliff behind them, "about 20 minutes away. They have fruit and oatmeal this morning."

Flint was discussing the ruins with the researchers over in their portable structure. It was little more than a shipping container with windows, but it had solar panels for electricity as well as a propane furnace.

As Serah and Noel approached the camp, they overheard Flint ask the researchers "So is it possible that he's a Farseer, then?"

"The embroidery on his outfit suggests he's definitely of Pulsian descent. As to the tribe, it's hard to say for sure," a female voice replied. There was some indiscernible muttering before she conceded. "Yes, I suppose it's possible. We only have a few ruins of buildings and ancient grave sites to go off of. His bone structure fits the bill, but there are so many unknowns…"

The conversation came to an abrupt end as Serah and Noel entered the building. The researcher that had been talking looked startled. It wasn't too hard to figure out who they had been discussing. Noel shrugged it off for now, but held misgivings about Flint and his intentions.

"H-hey sleepy-heads," Flint called with a big smile. "Ready for some breakfast?"

After they had eaten, they grabbed their comm devices from the tent and headed towards the west end of the ruins, which contained the shrine. It was easily singled out from the rest of the ruins because of the beautiful relief carvings on its remaining walls, symbolizing the divine presence of Etro. The researchers were most interested in this area, so it was the first on their list to clear out.

At first they encountered a few curious Goblins that did not give them much trouble, but as the day wore on, the easier foes brought their stronger allies to battle. Quick little Cactuar would zip right through their legs and disappear in the tall grass only to pounce on them from behind. Serah's new weapon caused some snags in their first battle, when Serah and Noel both tried to blitz a group of Goblins at the same time. In the past she'd let Noel deal with the clustered creatures up close, while she'd douse them in area-effect magic from afar, using her arrows on individuals once they were isolated. After a few alterations they found a battle plan that worked, where Serah could get up close with her blade and not cross Noel's attack path.

They prowled the area outside the shrine, often retracing their steps when they heard rustling in the grass. Noel's keen senses ensured them a preemptive strike every time. The morning wore on and the merciless sun beat down on them, more so than the creatures they fought. Not once did they encounter another strike team. Sweat from heat and exertion dripped down the blonde's back, and her stomach rumbled as she shot yet another grinning Munchkin in the arm. The creature had pummeled her with its oversized fists, and she wasn't about to go through that again. With a fierce cry, Noel sliced the Munchkin down its back and the creature was knocked out. Its pack gathered him up and high-tailed it out of the area.

"Getting hungry?" smirked Noel, as Serah's stomach let out another groan.

Sheepishly, Serah replied, "If I don't eat soon, I'm taking a bite of the next Cactuaroni we fight… I always wondered if they taste like pepperoni…"

As if they had heard her, no creatures attacked them on their way back to camp.

They had been instructed to return with a status report by lunchtime. Their hard work had only cleared the outside of the holy building. Just when they thought it was clear to move in, more beasts would wander into their area. Small owl-like Gremlins and their ilk had nested within the corners and under the loose stones and Noel figured at least 50 lived within the structure itself. Fighting them 6 at time was a grind, so they decided to deal with them after resting up and eating something.

Flint was stirring some soup over a crackling fire when they returned. Blaze was giving the Strike Team 3 status report to Sergeant Evans. Apparently Ash had had some success in trapping today, and was feeding a Caterchipillar some food pellets. "Eat up, Caterpie," he was saying. Ardea scoffed at Ash, but didn't even bother to correct him. When she spied Serah sitting by the fire, she made a b-line for her, but tried to look casual about it.

"Flint, that smells amazing!" Ardea exclaimed as she sat next to Serah. "It reminds me of the soup my grandma used to make me when I was sick." Her eyes misted over, supposedly with fond memories of a childhood past. The soup did smell delicious, and Serah was salivating.

"Serah, did your grandmother ever make soup?" Ardea asked, tilting her head slightly. "Or was she more of a knitting-type grandmother?"

Shaking her head, she replied "I don't know. I never met her."

Put-off by this answer, Ardea moved her attention to the man beside her. "How about yours, Noel?"

The hunter laughed heartily. "My grandmother made the best soup; she also hunted down the meat that went into it." The memory brought a smile to his face. "She was the strongest woman I've ever met."

Committing this data to memory, Ardea continued to badger Serah about her family. "Did you know any of your grandparents?"

"No," Serah replied in a tone that said she was done talking about it. Flint passed her a bowl of the vegetable soup which smelled spicy and was still very hot. Impatiently blowing on a spoonful, Serah ignored the biologist as much as she could.

"What about your mother, I'm sure she made you soup when you were sick."

"My parents died when I was very young. I don't have any memories of them."

"Well then who raised you? Where did you live?" The questions were rapid fire now, almost desperate to find an answer.

"Leave her alone," warned Noel, who saw how uncomfortable Serah had become.

"How do you know the Director?" slipped from Ardea's mouth before she could stop it.

She was mercifully interrupted by Sergeant Evans, having just finished with Blaze, who called on them next. "Strike Team 1: status report."

It was fortunate that she'd been interrupted. The interrogation was getting sloppy. Serah's uneasiness was becoming palpable, but Ardea didn't care, as long as she got the answers she needed. Somehow they knew about the Oracle Drive; the best-kept secret of the Academy. The Director himself, who had travelled forward one hundred years, treated them like old friends. No one understood it, but most just shrugged it off. It didn't make sense. No one Hope Esteim knew from his past should be around anymore; especially not some twenty-year-old couple. Did they also travel through time? Who were they, _really_?

"The entrance to the shrine has been cleared, though creatures keep wandering into the area. It will never be completely safe, but we figure that after the nesting Gremlins are removed, the researchers could enter the building so long as they have an escort," Noel explained.

"Excellent work, you two," Evans commended. "Your mission for the rest of the day will be to fight and frighten the Gremlins out of the shrine, and I will send the other teams over in a couple hours to trap and relocate the creatures."

Talking to Sergeant Evans seemed to have given Serah a chance to calm down. The way Ardea got under her skin struck Noel as odd, so he asked her what she thought of the biologist as they walked back to the shrine.

"She's really creepy. She's always taking notes and not just on the creatures, but on _us_ too," Serah smacked her forehead with her palm. "Oh right, I was going to warn the sergeant about her," she exclaimed reaching for her comm device.

"Sergeant, this is Agent Farron. I heard some startling information yesterday, which I have since failed to report. Ardea plans to dissect the creatures here, to better understand their biology. I thought you should know." She nodded her head a few times in response to the sergeant's reply. "Right sergeant, we will. Over and out."

"Dissection?!" Noel questioned, surprise and disgust evident on his face.

"Like I said, really creepy," Serah said with a shudder. "I don't know why but she seems to be especially interested in me." At those words Noel silently pledged to never leave Serah alone with Ardea.

Nothing attacked them until they entered the ruined shrine. Inside, they found relief from the scorching sun, thanks to the shade provided by a partial roof and layers of vines that now seemed to hold the building together. As their bodies relaxed in the cooler air, a pack of Garchimacera – the stronger cousin of the Gremlin which looked like an owl with a quilt draped over its head – dropped on them from above. As before, there were six of them and all were skilled ravagers. Knowing their weakness, Serah called on her ice magic and unleashed Blizzaga on the group, knocking them all out instantly.

"Leave some for me!" Noel complained, the battle over before he'd unsheathed his swords.

"I'm sure there are plenty more around here somewhere," Serah responded, scoping out the dim hall.

It resembled a temple; with a raised altar to their far left. The structure was composed of dark stone, worn smooth by wind and rain but crumbling with jagged edges by acts of beasts and plants alike. Roman columns, shrouded in shadow, held up what was left of the roof. As she stepped further into the room, her footsteps echoed in the vast chamber. Some of the stones beneath her feet shifted as she put weight on them.

"Noel, the floor feels unstable, maybe we should walk around the edge – Ah!" she screamed as the floor dropped out from under her. Noel ran to catch her hand, but the floor continued to fall away, and his sure footing was lost as they both fell several feet into darkness.

They landed in a heap, Noel on top. Disoriented, he pushed himself up with his hands. Something soft under his palm caused him to stop mid-motion and look down.

"GET YOUR HAND OFF MY CHEST!" screamed Serah with what little breath she had.

Noel jumped off her, embarrassed enough to die. Hesitantly he offered her a hand up; glad the darkness hid the warmth that encompassed his whole face. The flustered woman struggled to her feet without the help of yon pervert's outstretched hand. After a moment of strained silence, they realized the hole they were in was too deep to climb out of, and seemed to stretch outward both ahead and behind them. This underground tunnel must have been dug under the floor. But for what purpose?

"I hate to tell you this, Serah," Noel stated as he heard some rustling in the darkness ahead, "but I think we found the nest."

In the dim light, they watched in horror as a multitude of small winged creatures gathered around them. Noel recognized the stronger Apotamkin among them from 700 AF. Together, Serah and Noel were a powerful duo; they'd defeated the winged chaos that lived inside of Caius Ballad – a formidable opponent that could only fall to true heroes. But it was one thing to attack a foe head-on with equal numbers, and quite another to be surrounded in the dark by creatures that outnumber them twenty to one; especially when those creatures were capable of inflicting paralysis.

Above them, two figures leaned over the hole. The scarce light behind them cast their faces in shadow.

"Strike team 1, do you need assistance?" Flint called down to them.

"Obviously," Noel called back, not wanting to look away from the threatening horde.

"First you can answer some of our questions," Ardea's voice demanded as she shone a strobe light on them. The creatures retreated back into the darker recesses of the nest.

* * *

Identity - (noun): condition of being oneself and not another.

* * *

"Ardea!" exclaimed Serah, who wanted nothing more to get out of the pit before the creatures returned. It didn't matter who helped her or what the conditions were. "Thank you so much. Help us out of here!"

"When were you born?" the other woman asked plainly.

Uncertainty filled Serah like ice water. "Y-you have my age already… in your database."

"I have an estimate, but your birth certificate doesn't exist," said the biologist in a calm voice. "How about you," she said, turning to Noel. "When were you born?

"That's none of your business," he replied. "Stop playing games and get us out of here!"

"Are you a Farseer?" asked Flint, unmoved by his urgency.

"This is crazy," Noel laughed bitterly. "Drop down a rope or something; we'll talk about this later."

"Do you know where the Seeress is?"

"No." Noel answered with finality.

"Why do you want to know?" entreated a confused Serah.

Ardea rotated her neck, which cracked several times, before answering. "You are both mysteries to the Academy. No documentation about where you were born or _when,_ what schools you went to – it's as if you appeared out of midair the day the crystal pillar collapsed."

Flint interjected, "We'll ask you one more time: where is the Seeress?"

"Why? What do you want with Yeul?" Noel demanded.

"We just want to know how she does it; how she can see the future," Ardea's voice echoed in the temple. Even after the sound died out, the two in the pit couldn't believe the situation they were in.

"It's a power given by the goddess Etro," Serah whispered hesitantly. If they knew about Yeul shouldn't they know that already?

"I'm skeptical about that," Ardea began pacing around the hole, carefully placing her boots on solid ground. "Only Farseers give birth to a Seeress, and only every few generations. _I_ think it's genetic. Perhaps it's a recessive trait on the X chromosome," she laughed waving away the comment as if it was tangible. "That's just a theory. All I want is to isolate the ability. Give it to those who deserve it. If we had a Seeress in the Academy, well – we'd never make a mistake. We could protect ourselves from natural disasters before they occur. Think of all the lives we'd save."

"It's a curse," shouted Noel. "It kills them. Their life, in exchange for the power to see the future."

"One life, for thousands not to die in an earthquake. Hmm," she mused, "I think it's a fair trade."

"Now, if you don't talk, we'll just leave you here to die," Flint menaced, as he spotted the creatures returning from the darkness. Their numbers had increased to include the hawk-like demon monsters Vodianoi and Samovira.

"Why are you doing this?" yelled Serah, fear and desperation overwhelming her voice, making it tremble. "I thought we were on the same team!"

The man scoffed. "Hardly. No one really cares about these creatures _or_ the ruins except you, Ash and the disillusioned Sergeant Evans." He crouched down to see their faces better, to watch the fear slide into their eyes, as he continued, "We just needed to get you away from your powerful friend the Director."

"Are _you_ the Seeress?" Ardea asked abruptly.

"Huh?" came from Flint, not expecting this line of questioning from his partner.

Serah remained silent.

That wicked smile stretched Ardea's lips into something grotesque. "The Seeress is never found without a Guardian, or so the legend goes. You say he's not your boyfriend," she said, pointing to Noel, "and he looks to be a Farseer himself... I think... it could be you." Then she reached into her coat and drew out a long needle.

"Of course," Flint agreed, also reaching for something in his pack.

"No!" screamed Serah, afraid of what was to happen next.

"I just want a sample," she said, as she and Flint covered their faces with gas masks. In the man's hand was a canister of tear gas.

With only a brief nod for communication, Noel grabbed a crystal from their pack and Serah shot it with her gunblade. Deathgaze, the white dragon, appeared at their side and paralyzed Flint and Ardea with a glance from its pale eyes. Noel lifted Serah onto its back, and climbed up behind her. The dragon beat its massive segmented wings and flew out of the pit, out of the shrine and away from the ruins, away from the betrayal.

As the camp below faded from sight, Serah reached into her pack for her comm device. "Sergeant Evans, don't trust anyone! Flint and Ardea…"

"Get rid of it!" Noel shouted, ripping his own device off his belt and throwing it away. "It can be used to trace our location." Sadly, Serah let the device fall from her hand.

As it tumbled end over end through the air, a call came in: "Serah, Noel? Come back, the mission is a fake!" Hope's desperate voice was lost to the air as the comm device hit the ground and shattered.


	7. Closing in

_Story: Moving on... Without you  
_

_Chapter __Summary: Serah and Noel escape their situation and end up somewhere... unexpected. Hope discovers that something is not right in the Academy. If only he had the ability to see what was coming..._

**Chapter 7: Closing in**

**[Day 4: late afternoon...]  
**

* * *

Close – (noun): to come to an end; terminate.

* * *

The cruelty of the world was again apparent to Serah and Noel, as their attempt at orientation had them landing on their heads. The two had thought they had finally found their place in life, working with a team from the Academy to tame creatures. It was hard work, but after a few months they'd be back home where Hope, Sazh and Dajh would be waiting. They could live the nomadic life that Noel was accustomed to as well as the modern day living that Serah knew. They had the best of both worlds. And best of all they had each other. In an instant, that life was snatched away from them before they'd even been able to enjoy it. Now each other was _all_ they had.

On the back of the great dragon Deathgaze, Serah pondered what their best option in the situation would be. They could return to Academia and hope that Ardea and Flint were acting autonomously from the Academy. But what was that they said?

"_No one really cares about these creatures or the ruins except you, Ash and the disillusioned Sergeant Evans."_

So obviously the plot against them went high enough into the Academy hierarchy to have generated a false mission. Was General Mathis involved? Was Hope? Serah cursed herself for thinking it, but the nagging worry wouldn't be so easily silenced. The Director had been the one to suggest the mission to them in the first place. But no, the idea had been to get them away from Hope, so he couldn't be involved.

"_We just needed to get you away from your powerful friend the Director."_

The alternative would be to run away. Live as fugitives, away from their "family". But for how long? Would this be permanent? How badly did Ardea want to see the future? How much support did they have? Questions swirled in Serah's mind and panic started to set in. Her heart began to beat painfully fast, her palms were sweaty and her vision became hyperclear and too bright. What were they willing to do to get what they want? She felt lightheaded.

Noel sat behind her, holding the reins he'd tied around the dragon's neck. All of a sudden Serah's body started to heat up, and her skin became flushed.

"Serah, are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Her voice sounded small, quiet as if it was coming from the bottom of a well. "What will we do now?"

"We keep moving, keep living," he suggested with forced optimism. "We'll find the Farseers, right? We'll warn them of the Academy's intentions."

Right, she'd promised Noel that she would help him find his tribal ancestors. The suggestion was a good one. If they had a plan, a new mission, then they wouldn't have the time to wonder how serious the threat was against their lives. She wouldn't be looking over her shoulder, wondering if today would be the day they take her away to be a test subject. To be dissected.

"Serah, calm down," Noel's voice came to her from far away. Her body felt light. Every limb tingled as if she were falling asleep. "Serah," Noel shook her then, just a gentle shake of her shoulder. "Snap out of it!"

Abruptly, he motioned the dragon to land. They had not been flying long, but the distance they traveled would be enough cover for now. As long as they didn't know which direction they had taken, it would take Flint and Ardea a few hours to track them down, even with the airship. Deathgaze set its talons down lightly in the grass at the far end of the plains. Here trees began to grow closer together, and further behind them a lush forest took over. They knew the ruins were not too far away, but their surrounding cliffs blocked them from view. The forest would be perfect cover for the fugitives' escape.

Noel helped her down onto the grass, glad that Serah was able to walk on her own. Her skin was flushed in the afternoon sun and she had a faraway look in her eyes. He didn't think it was a vision, but he didn't like it, all the same.

"Serah," Noel began, with a worried voice.

"I'm fine, Noel," Serah said softly, looking off into the trees. "Don't worry about me."

"What is it?" Noel demanded now. "Tell me what's got you so spooked."

"It's just…" the woman crossed her arms in front of her, hands holding onto the opposite elbow as if bracing herself for something unpleasant. It made her look vulnerable.

"Let me in, Serah. We're a team." Why did she do this, try to keep her feelings all to herself?

Habit had her holding back, feeling that her anxiety made her weak, but she forced herself to divulge her fears because no matter what, she wasn't in this alone. "I didn't want this," she admitted slowly. "I wanted a job, a life with meaning. I never wanted to be a Seeress in the first place, and now I'm being treated like a freaking experiment! I haven't even had a vision in months!"

"Don't worry about them," Noel told her then, wrapping his arms around her. "I'll protect you, I promise."

The solid press of his body against hers was comforting and caused Serah's mind to settle down. Her panic subsided. Breathing in and out, she forced herself to calm. She was strong, so why had she been acting so fragile? "And I promise not to die on you this time," she asserted.

She had meant for the comment to lighten the mood, but Noel stiffened at the remark and then moved away from her. Now she felt horrible, what possessed her to bring that up? Of course the memory would be painful for him. Though she wanted to put her foot in her mouth, she settled on biting her glove. The last thing she had meant to do was to hurt him. Noel continued to walk into the forest. Serah gathered Deathgaze back into his crystal and followed him timidly.

After half an hour of walking, pretty much aimlessly, Serah broke the silence. "How do you intend to track down the Farseers?" she asked hesitantly.

"I don't know."

"What?! Don't you have a system or something?"

"Not really," he admitted, running his hand along a branch as he walked by it.

Recognizing that the situation required some thought, Serah prompted him, "Well, what do we know about the Farseers?"

"I only know what I've experienced," Noel shrugged. "We were nomadic. We'd follow the herds. When the Behemoth and Lobos would migrate, so would we."

"Ok, that's a start," Serah considered, chin in hand. "Behemoth and Lobos generally only live on plains, right?" she asked, thinking that Ardea would know the answer. The name caused her to cringe.

"Yeah, pretty much," Noel agreed thoughtfully. "We never really lived in a forest like this one. We kept to the edge of the trees, mostly. For shelter, but too far in and we wouldn't be able to protect ourselves at night."

"So we've narrowed them down to the plains of Pulse," Serah said excitedly. "That's pretty good."

"Now we just need to figure out where this forest leads," Noel said, pointing out the obvious fact that they were still pretty much lost. "And avoid being found by Flint and Ardea."

"We'll wait here until full dark," Serah said with a determined air. "Then we'll fly on Kanna Kamuy because her scales are darker and blend into the night. We'll fly until we find a town or city and then, in the morning, we'll buy a map of Pulse."

The young man grinned. "A map?" he asked incredulously. "Do you think it will be that easy?"

"Why not? It's been 500 years since the people of Cocoon have inhabited the lower world, you'd think they would have made maps by now."

"Alright, we'll try it your way," Noel snickered, none too convinced. "But what do we do right now?"

"What do you mean? We keep moving, just like you said."

"But if we move too far into the forest, the dragon won't be able to fly us out of here," Noel pointed out, indicating the dense tree growth up ahead.

"Oh, right," Serah realized. "I guess we wait here."

And so they waited. Since they planned on travelling at night, Serah considered taking a nap, Noel offered to keep watch. When it came down to it, Serah wasn't tired. In fact she was full of nervous energy that she needed to exhaust.

"Well, if you're not going to sleep, I think I will, if that's ok," Noel said, yawning.

"Of course, I'll take first watch," Serah agreed, while she sized up a tree she meant to climb.

Finding a wide tree trunk to lean against and the blanket in Serah's survival pack, Noel got comfortable. Serah's valiant efforts at tree climbing made him smile, especially as she slid down the trunk back to earth. He began to nod off.

Having exhausted herself, and now covered with sap, Serah moved to sit beside Noel's curled up frame. She removed her sticky gloves as she looked down at him. So peaceful, she thought, touching his hair gently. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier," she whispered, not trying to wake him. "I promise to protect you, too." Noel smiled to himself sleepily.

* * *

The Director of the Academy, at least in name, was walking from a meeting (about the state of Bhunivelze's levitational force) back to his office. A young man, his new assistant, walked beside him.

"Do I have a meeting with General Mathis to discuss the Soloch ruins mission?" he asked, wanting to hear news of his friends and how they were doing.

"Which mission, Director?"

"The Soloch ruins, northwest of Academia past the desert? They were overrun with monsters and we sent a civilian task force to remove them only yesterday."

Punching in the data, the assistant was met with a blank screen. "There is no such mission, Director."

"What?" Hope asked with maybe a little too much force.

The young man cowered behind his computer. "Those ruins, they were investigated thirty years ago. Nothing of consequence was found. S-see?" he offered, showing Hope the mission log of the Soloch ruins. Dated 470 AF.

"But I just met with the General two days ago," Hope insisted. "There was a task force. My friends were on it."

"Well, there's no record of it in the Academy database," the assistant stated confidently, having the electronic records for backup. "Would you like to schedule a meeting with the General, regardless?"

"Yes," he replied. "As soon as possible," he added, a little on edge. Returning to his office, Hope paced back and forth while he waited for an answer. What the hell was going on?

"Director?" inquired his assistant timidly.

"Yes?" he replied, trying to appear normal.

"General Mathis is unavailable. His secretary cancelled all of his meetings today."

Instant rage bubbled inside of the Director. "Why? Where is he? This is urgent!"

"I don't know!" whimpered the young man.

"I'm going down there," Hope said resolutely, already walking out the door.

"But his secretary said he's very busy!" called the assistant to Hope's back.

In his most authoritative air, Hope stormed the general's office.

"Director!" The secretary said, getting to her feet, caught off guard by his unannounced presence. Her nameplate read Melodie Valencia.

"Miss Valencia, I need to speak with the General. Now."

"I'm afraid you can't," she pleaded. "He's very busy."

Without another word, Hope barged into the smaller personal office without even knocking. It was tastefully decorated; oak desk and bookshelves but not overdone. He even had a nice view of Academia and Bhunivelze. Notes were scattered on the desk in a way that suggested they had just been scrutinized. But no one was at the desk, nor anywhere in the small office.

Behind him, Ms. Valencia entered.

"What's going on here?" Hope demanded, not wanting to look like a fool, and afraid that he already did. "Where is the General?"

"I told you, he's very busy." She walked around and sat on the edge of his desk, her dark pencil skirt rising just a bit higher on her thigh as a consequence. She smoothed back her thick brown hair. "He's on Bhunivelze right now, dealing with the coordination of air traffic."

"Why didn't you tell my assistant that?" Hope asked, annoyed by this whole run-around. "I would have scheduled a tele-conference."

"Maybe _I_ wanted to talk to you." Ms. Valencia smiled, but it didn't reach her pale eyes.

"Then make an appointment," Hope said dimissivly as he turned to walk out. Though he tried to leave, the door was locked from the outside.

"What do you know about the Farseer tribe?" The secretary asked the panicked face of the Director.

Hope's temper was building: he'd been lied to, his friends were possibly in danger, and this secretary wanted to chat?

"Read a book," Hope said flatly. "Everything I know I have documented. Is that all?" His hand reached again for the doorknob.

"No," Ms. Valencia answered, seemingly enjoying how powerless the Director was. "You left something out. What was the Oracle Drive?"

"It was a recording of the visions of the Seeress," Hope replied.

Not expecting such a quick answer, she asked, "Why is it not mentioned in the account of the Paddra ruins?"

"It _was_ mentioned, I wrote that part myself."

"Well it was removed, then. There are only rumours now. Rumors that the Farseers had the ability to see the future."

"I didn't realize that this was some sort of cover-up," Hope started, thoroughly annoyed by this conversation. "I clearly documented all I knew about the Farseers: about Yeul, her abilities and the Oracle Drive. I can't help it if in 490 years the information has been lost."

The woman considered this information, her pale eyes sliding closed for a moment. "Don't you think the Academy should have this power?"

"What power?"

"Precognition. The ability to see the future."

"That power was a curse. The Seeress loses her life because of it," Hope thought back to the day he thought Serah had succumbed that fate. "I would never wish that fate on anyone. Besides, it was a power bestowed by the goddess."

"That's not what we think."

"Who's _we_?" demanded the Director. He knew this woman was just leading him on, but aside from breaking the door down, he didn't have much choice. Hope flopped down into one of the office chairs.

Ms. Valencia smirked at his gesture. "We, the Precognition Investigation and Recovery Team of the Academy. PIRT for short."

"I've never heard of it," he admitted, in a way that said he knew she was about to explain it anyway.

"Well, as you know, the Academy has been interested in the Farseer tribe for about 500 years. But a group of archeologists and historians started unraveling the mystery of the Farseer tribe only about thirty years ago. Their papers generated interest from all branches of the Academy, and they set out to discover the source of the Seeress' power."

"Wait," Hope interjected, clearly confused, "we _already_ understood the source of Yeul's power back in 10 AF. There was no mystery."

The secretary stayed his comments with a hand. "A promising doctor of genetics research suggested that the trait was hereditary, passed on through the Farseer tribe. Because it affected only females, she figured it was an X-chromosome linked recessive trait. The theory garnered support from all branches of science, and even the military became involved. The problem was that without a bona fide Seeress for DNA samples, the research could not progress. They needed a live specimen to work from. So, secret missions were planned to find the tribe of the Farseers, and study the Seeress. Which brings me to my next question, how do you know Noel Kreiss?"

Hope's head was reeling. This PIRT faction, it had been running for thirty years in the shadows and he was only hearing about it now. They wanted to study the Seeress like a lab rat. And they were trying to involve Noel.

"He's a friend," he replied cautiously, aware that what he said could affect Noel.

"We have reason to believe he's a Farseer himself. Can you confirm these theories?"

Trying to avoid the question, Hope asked, "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Well, if he's a Farseer, he can lead us to the Seeress," Ms. Valencia explained, as if to a slow child.

"I told you, the power was a gift from Etro. It has nothing to do with science."

"_Everything_ has to do with science. The Director should know that."

Then it clicked. Secret missions, the Farseers, Noel… Serah. "Was PIRT responsible for the false mission to Soloch ruins yesterday?"

"Yes," she divulged. "Commander Yohan Flint was in charge. He was undercover as the civilian Flint Westerbrook."

His next question was laced with apprehension. "What was the purpose of the mission?"

"To follow a potential lead to the Farseer's whereabouts. Noel Kreiss."

Thinking fast, Hope clung to the one chance he had to help his friends. "Let me help you, I will make him cooperate. Just patch me through to Serah or Noel's communication device."

"Certainly." The secretary picked up the phone and, after a few intermediaries, she handed him the receiver. It was ringing.

Hope grabbed it and took a deep breath. These were his friends, and he didn't know what PIRT was planning for them. If they found out Serah was a Seeress, who knows what they'd do to her. The line picked up and he knew he had to warn them. "Serah, Noel? Come back, the mission is a fake!"

The secretary hung up the phone. "Bad choice, Director."

Someone entered the room behind him, but they shot before he could turn his head to see who it was. There was an instant of pain, then nothing.

* * *

Night descended on the forest, slowly filling the horizon with dark blue, then marching upwards and sliding a dark blanket over the world. Noel was on watch while Serah was resting. He shook her awake at true dark.

"It's time." They summoned Kanna Kamuy as Serah suggested, and got on her back.

They flew out of the forest, just skimming the treetops, in an effort to stay hidden in the shadows. There had been no sign of the airship all day, which suggested that Flint and Ardea were either biding their time, also waiting for night or maybe that they figured Serah and Noel weren't worth the bother. An unlikely, but very fortunate scenario.

Hours passed. They strained their eyes on the horizon in every direction, looking for lights or any sign of civilization. They chose to continue north, rather than heading south towards Academia. Far east would be the Cocoon crash site, where no one could live because of the impact. The forest continued beneath them.

After a time, on the far west horizon, a light caught Serah's eye. "Noel, look!" she exclaimed excitedly. For a moment it seemed to disappear, but then flashed again, a bright beacon of light piercing the sky. Kanna Kamuy turned and headed due west. The closer they got, the brighter the light became. Serah realized after a time that this was no ordinary city. It was nearly midnight, but the whole area seemed to glow and flash different colors. A smile spread on her face, when she realized where they were.

"Noel, it's Nautilus!"

"What?"

"They must have rebuilt it!" she said, happily. "We have to check it out!"

* * *

Close - (noun): to be in proximity to another; near in kind or relationship

* * *

They landed well outside the park gates, and Kanna Kamuy returned to her crystal state.

Serah grabbed Noel's hand, and dragged him through the gates. Immediately they were bombarded with flashing lights and music coming from every direction. Wide blue eyes tried to take in everything at once. Neon pink, blue, yellow and green lights flashed haphazardly, ruining his night vision. This was something Noel had never experienced before. A 'theme park', Serah called it.

Hundreds of people crammed into one space formed a sea of movement and they were swimming against the current. It was warm here, with people pressing forward anxiously to not be separated from each other. Many of them clutched large stuffed Chocobos or Carbuncles. The lights were mesmerizingly bright and colored everything around them in a neon rainbow. Food smells permeated the area. The ground throbbed beneath them in time to the bass line of the loud music. Every sense heightened, Noel wondered if he was on some sort of drug. Serah giggled and smiled at him, enjoying his state of wonderment, and he knew it was true.

Recklessly, Serah jumped the fence surrounding a spinning ride that was just being loaded. The attendant started to yell at them but the loud techno music reached its crescendo, and he decided to let it go when Noel appropriated the harness next to her. Mechanical arms lifted them off the ground, and began to spin them in every direction. The world spun all around them, blurring into a neon smear of lights, the smell of deep fried foods and Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close" blaring in their ears. It seemed like time had stopped, but was moving faster than ever before.

_There's no stopping us right now. I feel so close to you right now._

When the ride ended and Serah was stumbling dizzily out into the sea of people again, but Noel grabbed her hand and raced to the tallest structure in the park. The Metrodroid Ring. Its lights formed the spokes of a giant wheel, and were pulsating to the music. Noel skipped the line and spoke to the attendant for a few seconds. They got on the next cart, sat across from each other, and the ride began. They climbed higher and higher around the giant wheel, the park displayed beneath them. In the sky there was an explosion of color. The fireworks had begun, and they were in the best place to see them.

How did he know? Serah thought, as she remembered of the last time she'd seen fireworks like this. All those years ago. With Snow.

She looked over at Noel to see that his blue eyes were all for her, he hadn't even glanced at the fireworks. A smile spread across her face and was mirrored by her friend - no - the man in front of her. When had he become more than a friend? she wondered, her heart picking up speed. The music continued to blast in their ears from the speakers in the cart.

_I feel so close to you right now, it's a forcefield. _

Every nerve ending was raw, and even the brush of their knees coming together brought a wave of euphoria crashing though Noel's body.

"I feel so close to you right now," he said/shouted over the music. Somehow the song was resonating in his psyche and reflected perfectly what he was feeling.

"Yeah," Serah agreed, "I love this song, too." She smiled innocently, and gave a squeal of delight as another firework exploded and then shimmered down the black canvass sky like crystal dust.

It was too much, and Noel reached out and cupped her face. Before Serah could realize it, Noel's lips were on hers. She closed her eyes, and fireworks exploded behind her eyes.

She kissed back hungrily, as she slid onto his lap. His hands caressed up her back and down her thighs. Heat was building in her chest and spiraling downwards. The electricity between them was something that had been building for a long time, but at the same time was entirely new. Their hearts were beating so fast. The pulsating lights, the music, the thrill of it all around them amplified the sensations they were feeling. Serah forced her tongue into Noel's mouth, something he'd never experienced before. He responded aggressively with his own, exploring her mouth. His excitement hardened noticeably, which only intensified the kiss for Serah, who was now straddling him, her hands braced on the glass of the window behind him.

All too soon, the ride had come full circle and the attendant was waiting for them to disentangle themselves.

"Have a good night, you two," he said with a wink.

They almost stumbled off the landing, both still reeling from the kiss. Noels arms were around her, and he was lifting her up, spinning her around. They were grinning like idiots but they didn't care. She was laughing, he was laughing, and then he got dizzy and fell onto a bench. Serah landed beside him. His face moved in, lips brushing her cheek, moving back to her earlobe. It was a rush, and Serah didn't want it to end. Her arms slid up around his shoulders, behind his neck and slid her fingers in his hair.

"…_Announcement. Special Announcement from the Academia Central Broadcasting Station._" was blaring through the loudspeakers. The music stopped. Rides screeched to a halt. Serah and Noel raised dazed eyes to the virtual screen that had appeared in the sky ahead of them.

"_The Director of the Academy was murdered today in Academia." _The face of a female reporter was visible, with a video clip playing beside her of the Academy building, surrounded by police and other personnel_. _ _"The body of Hope Esteim was found in the office of General Mathis only hours ago. The incident is currently under investigation and details will be forthcoming. The General is not a suspect at this time__.__" _A picture of Hope replaced the scene._ "__There will be a ceremony of remembrance at the Academy building in three days. __The Academy would like to share the words of William Wordsworth: _

Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower, we will grieve not; rather find strength in what remains behind.

_That is all, and may your prayers reach the ears of Etro during this difficult time.__"_

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Sorry! Don't hate me! Or at least state your hate in the form of a review! Edits to the theme park are courtesy of pookakitten i.e. the name of the Ferris wheel "metrodroid ring". **  
**_


	8. In the Wake of Despair

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: The recent events weigh heavily on Noel and Serah. Meanwhile, Sergeant Evans receives a coded message from the General._**  
**

**Chapter 8: In the wake of despair**

**[Day 4: nighttime...]  
**

* * *

Despair - (noun): loss of hope.

* * *

_The Director of the Academy was murdered today in Academia…_

Serah's eyes widened in shock. Her brows contracted, her face crumbling in on itself. The sadness in her eyes was restrained by disbelief. This couldn't be happening; not really. Her brain tried desperately to make sense of the situation. Why Hope, of all people? Who would want him dead?

In his mind, Noel was working though the same feelings. He too wondered if this crime was connected to Flint and Ardea. That, in their deranged goal of obtaining precognition, their faction had killed Hope. The man who had saved countless lives by years of study and ingenuity; single-handedly bringing about the construction of the new world… No, he couldn't go on thinking like this. Those thoughts made it real. He couldn't deal with Hope's death right now. If this faction had killed the Director of their own institution, they'd spare no mercy on a mere Farseer and his Seeress. All of a sudden the threat became immediate, and they were in danger. So he held on to the feeling of disbelief for as long as he could. Hopefully, it would be enough time for them to disappear.

Noel looked over to see that Serah was lost in sorrow. Noel took her hand and pulled her off the bench. Her movements were sluggish and he was sure she was in shock. They didn't have time to break down just yet. That would come later.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Noel encouraged, walking towards a park employee. He needed to know where to buy a map and then they could leave this place.

"Noel…" Serah said, tearing up.

"No, we can't – don't lose it yet," Noel tried to keep Serah from succumbing to her emotions for just a little longer. Just until they were outside of the park.

Incredulous by Noel's lack of reaction to the horrible news, Serah dug her heels in. She was furious. "They killed him, Noel. They killed… Hope," she could barely say his name before the tears came. Her sobs shook her whole body and she was crying as if her soul was dying. Noel pulled her close then, against his chest, his face buried in her hair. As she cried, Noel looked over her head and found a gift shop. His heart ached and the last thing he wanted to do was leave Serah like this, but if they didn't get out of here maybe they'd be found. And maybe _they'd_ get her.

Finding no other way, Noel released Serah from his embrace and took her hand. He led her into the shop and the little bell on the door jingled to the tune of Nautilus theme. The shelves were overflowing with plush toys, of every creature Noel could think of, and even several he'd never seen before. The salesman came in from a back room and looked them over appraisingly. The girl looked desperately sad.

"Good evening, and welcome to the original Nautilus store!" said the thin salesman in greeting. "A Happy Chocobo plushie will cheer your lady up," he suggested to Noel, wiggling his bushy eyebrows while hefting one over the counter. Its bloodshot eyes were all too close to Serah's at this point.

"We just need a map of Pulse," Noel said hastily, glad for some help in navigating this trinket shop.

The salesman looked him over critically. "A map of Pulse?" he stroked his chin. "Are you sure you don't want a map of Nautilus, I have all of the best secluded areas indicated on this map here," the map was called Nautilus for Lovers.

"No, just a general map, showing all of Pulse," Noel clarified, "If you have one."

Noel ended up with an armful of maps, unsure if any of them would be of use, but too rushed to argue with the pushy salesman. He realized that he didn't have any of the current era's gil on him, so he had to use the credit stick Hope had given him, despite his unease in doing so.

"If you don't want the night to be a complete bust," the man said, pulling Noel aside, "The hologram parade is starting…" he looked at the clock on the wall. "Any second now. It'll definitely raise her spirits. No woman alive can resist the parade's colorful dancing and artistry." He wiggled his eyebrows again, suggestively. "Buy her a pretty necklace, bring her to the parade and you won't be needing to take her home until tomorrow morning!" he boasted with a sleazy grin.

"Thanks, but we need to go." Noel said, though he did consider the part about the necklace for half a second.

As the couple left the shop, the salesman reflected on the sad girl. Her face seemed familiar, somehow. Shrugging the feeling off, he thought 'at least they'd bought something' and returned to the back room. Behind him, next to the cash register, was a faded photo of a smiling girl with soft pink hair. The words 'If you see this woman call…' followed by several digits was printed on the back in red marker.

Bells were ringing to indicate the start of the parade. Baghorns were blaring and the holograms began to dance hypnotically. Noel ran through the holograms and the crowds of dazed people who watched them, pulling Serah along behind him. Then he led Serah past the cactuar signs signifying the exit. With the help of Nautilus for Lovers, he found a secluded place and summoned Kanna Kamuy. Helping Serah onto her back, he looked back at the theme park. The lights were still flickering madly and the music was as loud as ever, but the feeling of excitement it had given him before was gone. The place seemed haunted now – the rides violent and angry. Jumping on the back of the dragon, he vowed never to return to Nautilus. Kanna Kamuy took off and flew out over the buildings, heading north.

All this time Serah felt like nothing was real anymore. It wasn't until she heard the sobs behind her that she knew.

He'd been holding it in, until he knew she was safe.

Finally he could process the loss of a good friend. A family member. The man who saved the future in a way he never could. Hope didn't need to fight battles – he had used his mind to make things better and change the course of history. Now he was cut down mercilessly for a pointless quest to track down the Seeress.

Tears burned behind his eyes – yet another person he could not protect had died. Briefly, he wondered, if they _had_ surrendered to Flint and Ardea, whether no one would have been harmed. The scientist had said she only wanted a DNA sample. Though his knowledge of biology was scarce, he knew that DNA could be obtained from a small sample – hair follicles, blood or even a cheek swab was all that was needed. They didn't have to harm Serah at all. But that thought was driven from his mind when he remembered the fanatical way Ardea had been talking; the way her eyes had gleamed as Flint took out the can of tear gas. When the DNA proved nothing, who was to say what they'd try next? Perhaps they'd want to study her brain – hold her captive until she had a vision, which may never happen again. As much as it made him feel accountable for Hope's death, he couldn't argue that their escape had been necessary. The realization gave him a feeling of helplessness. There wan't a thing anyone could have done to save Hope.

Thankfully, Kanna Kamuy was able to navigate on her own, because her two charges were now enveloped in sadness. Though the dragon sensed their pain, it could do nothing but fly them to safety. To somewhere that would make them happy, perhaps. Their course changed slightly to the west as she angled her wings, soaring towards a lake surrounded by woods. Most of civilization was back east, and so was the fallen cocoon. They didn't want civilization.

"There was nothing we could have done…" Serah whispered finally, having come to the same conclusion as her partner. "But I never thought – I could never imagine… a world without him," she choked.

Noel held on to her fiercely, as if she were the last solid thing in a crumbling world. Though they cried very little after that, their anguish lasted until morning. The sky began to lighten on the horizon, pushing back the horrors of the night for a brief moment. The soft orange and pinks that accompanied the rising golden sphere seemed to calm their troubled hearts. Noel watched the sun rise behind them with Serah leaning against his chest, a soft breeze ruffling her hair.

**[Day 5]  
**

At the same time, they both noted the glint of sunlight reflected on the dragon's wing. It was time to land, the cover of darkness long expired.

* * *

**[Day 4: earlier...]**

"_Sergeant Evans, don't trust anyone! Flint and Ardea…"_

After receiving this strange and disjointed call from Serah, Sergeant Evans immediately headed over to the shrine. Something had happened, involving Flint and Ardea, which was odd, considering they were on separate strike teams, and were supposed to be working to clear the caves behind the shrine. The bad feeling that struck Evans was pushed back, so he could objectively assess the situation.

"Ash – I mean Agent Kenwood – what is your position?" he asked calling Flint's partner on the comm device as he jogged towards the shrine.

"Sergeant, I am scouting the tall grasses right now," was the young man's reply.

"Is Agent Westerbrook with you?"

"No, he left me about an hour ago. He said he needed to take a break," the last was said with a tone that suggested there was some eyerolling going on.

"Return to camp immediately," Sergeant Evans commanded. "Something has come up."

"Yes, sir," Ash replied, a little dejected that his hunting would be cut short.

Entering the crumbling structure, Evans had to squint as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. Two bodies were lying face down in the middle of the floor ahead. The hair color alone told him that they were Flint and Ardea. They seemed to be asleep, or paralyzed. Cautiously, the sergeant advanced, wanting to help them, but weary that whatever had done this to them could also do the same to him. When he reached their prone forms, he found their eyes wide open, pleading for help. He reached for his comm device, to call Blaze to aid in carrying them back to camp, when a large shadow passed over the two bodies.

Behind him, the giant of a man was already there. "Blaze, I was just about to call you," Evans said gratefully. "Come, help me carry them back to camp. They seem to be paralyzed."

"Of course," was all the man said. He lifted Flint easily over his shoulder and was reaching for Ardea as well.

"That's ok, I'll carry her," he said, dismissing him. While Blaze shrugged and left the building, Evans took in the surroundings carefully before picking up the woman. He noticed the hole in the ground next to her that seemed to drop down twelve feet or so. The pit was full of shadows, he saw from his crouched position, but nothing moved within. In fact, no monsters could be found anywhere, which also struck him as odd, considering the report from Serah and Noel earlier today. Where were they? And what were Ardea and Flint doing in here?

Curiosity got the best of him, and Evans faced Ardea, looking into her eyes. "I am going to release you from paralysis. And when I do, I want you to tell me what happened here. If you try to run, I'll paralyze you again. Is that understood?" Evans said evenly. It bothered him to talk like this to a subordinate, without any proof of wrongdoing, but he didn't want to regret being too soft, either. Ardea gave him an exaggerated blink, to show her cooperation.

Evans stood up and his palms hovered over her body. As a decent medic, he was able to use the spell Esuna to relieve her of her most recently inflicted status ailment. It wasn't often that he used magic in the field, because it often led to resentment from his troops when he did not show them how it was done. In truth, he wasn't sure how he could do it, himself. It was mostly natural ability, though he did practice enough to learn some saboteur spells from General Mathis. As far as Evans knew, the only magic users in the Academy were General Mathis, the Director and himself.

Ardea roused herself slowly, as if she was still stiff. Evans waited a minute before asking her to explain why she'd been in the shrine.

"Serah had called me," Ardea started, with a worried look in her big chocolate brown eyes. "She told me that they had run into some strong creatures and they needed backup. I came running from the caves, without even thinking to ask for Blaze's help." She ran a shaky hand through her dark hair as the other hand concealed the large needle behind her back, full of acid green liquid. "I guess Noel must have called Flint as well, because we both arrived at the same time. We rushed into the shrine and saw that Serah and Noel had fallen into this hole. We tried to get them out, but a beast in the pit stunned us, and took them further into its nest!" Ardea explained dramatically. "They're still down there! We need to save them!" At this point she stood up, and looked as though she was going to jump into the pit.

Sergeant Evans instinctively reached out to catch her. At that moment she stuck him in the neck with the needle and pushed the plunger all the way in. Evans eyes widened as Ardea used his momentum to push him into the pit. He would have reached out to her, or the ledge, if his arms would have responded to his impulses. But whatever she'd injected him with had made his body go numb. Darkness invaded his consciousness as he landed head first in the dirt at the bottom of the hole.

Hours later, Evans woke up and found that the paralysis had worn off enough that he could move both arms. He efficiently performed Esuna and Cura on himself. Then, looking around he noted that the pit was too deep to climb out of, with no useful hand holds to be seen. After determining that he was alone, at least for now, he reached in his pack for his tablet computer. Thankfully the only damage from the fall was a small crack at the bottom of the screen. He turned it on and it displayed the location of all of the comm devices of his squad. From Stike team 1 the only device still emitting a signal was Noel's, and it seemed to be several miles west of the ruins. Serah's comm device had disappeared from the grid altogether. Ash seemed to be the only one back at camp. The other three devices were in transit, moving north. Sliding his finger across the screen, the tablet displayed his messages and news from the Academy. What he saw shocked him to his core.

_General Mathis is now under investigation for the death of the Director, Hope Estheim. _

What in the name of Etro was going on? He tried calling the General on his comm device, but was met with only static. Next he tried Ash, hoping that their proximity would improve the signal.

"Y-yes, Sergeant?" came the sleepy reply from the teenager.

Evans let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. At least they'd left the kid alone. "Ash, I need you to head over to the shrine. Bring rope."

"Wha-?" was the intelligible response. "All by myself? I thought there was a nest of monsters over there or something."

"Yes, Ash, this is a rescue mission. Now come rescue me!" Evans shouted as he hung up. He hoped that would motivate the young monster tamer to hurry. Knowing he'd still have a while to wait, he sat down in his hole and tried to unravel the events of today. Make that yesterday; he amended, looking at his watch. The time was 4 am.

**[Day 5]**

Strike team 1 was MIA, under mysterious circumstances. The rest of his squad had attacked him and disappeared, most likely using the airship they'd arrived in. The Director had been killed, and General Mathis was suspected. He knew that was complete bullshit. There was no way the General would do something so foolish, even if he wanted to. Besides, he and the Director had a great working relationship. No, something was rotten in the Academy.

Despite his many attempts, his calls would not get through to the General, nor anyone in the Academy. Again, he looked at the GPS locator map and found that Ardea, Flint and Blaze were now nearing Nautilus, of all places.

A 'ping' noise indicated that he had a new message. Eagerly checking his account, Evans found the message was from the office of General Mathis. It was regrettably short and didn't seem to explain anything.

"_Light a fire and see what burns. Its melody will reveal the future."_

Puzzling over these enigmatic words a moment, he wondered what the General meant; and if it had any connection to Flint, Ardea and Blaze. Understanding slowly, he thought again: Flint. Ardea. Blaze. A fire, eh? So the murder and the mission here were connected, afterall. But where did Serah and Noel's disappearance fit in? The second part was even more confusing than the first. He didn't know what to make of it. It was a long way back to Academia on foot, he recalled uncomfortably, so he'd have plenty of time to think it through.


	9. Pursuit of a Better Future

_**Author's Note:** Okay, please take the time to review. For serious. And hint if you want the rating to go up *wiggles eyebrows suggestively* Also I'd like to give a shout-out to readers from Malaysia and Singapore!  
_

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: Serah contemplates her feelings for Noel. The pursuers eagerly stalk their prey, though they are in danger themselves._**  
**

**Chapter 9: Pursuit of a Better Future**

**[Day 5: daybreak...]  
**

* * *

Pursuit – (noun): the act of searching or striving after.

* * *

The maps were almost a total bust. Most of them were of Nautilus and its rides. One with very little detail had, at least, the topography indicated. A rough estimate suggested they were a two day walk from the western plains, if the scale of the map could be trusted. If they continued north they'd eventually arrive at the mountain ranges of Rudka and then east of there was Oerba. The stretch of plains was vast and would be hard to search thoroughly. The journey looked like it was going to take months.

The early morning sunlight made it hard to rest, even though they were exhausted. Noel knew they should take turns resting, as they always did, one of them keeping watch for danger. Their whole journey through time had consisted of half a night's sleep – unless they were with Hope in the ruins or Academia, where their safety was assured. Just this once, however, Noel wanted to risk the danger in order to sleep next to her. With a jolt he remembered what had transpired between them only hours ago. That kiss – it felt like it had been ages ago, in another life time.

He wanted to prove to himself that it _had_ happened. He needed it to be real. The one thing that could stop him from thinking about their desperate situation, and this world of death and hardship, was the touch of her lips.

After landing, they had consulted the maps and determined the direction that they would head. But, instead of making camp, they'd continued to wander around the lake that Kanna Kamuy had brought them to. The air was crisp; it was the beginning of fall and only moments after sunrise. The evergreen trees crowded around the lake so that even this close to the shore they wandered in and out of shadow. Serah's brown leather boots squished in the mud as she walked on a little ahead of Noel. Though she was tired, she felt that if she stopped, she'd have to think. And thinking right now seemed like a very bad idea.

Though the young man enjoyed the view that following behind her provided, it wasn't enough. All of a sudden he gathered his courage and caught up to Serah. Lost as she was in her shock-like state, she hardly noticed him come up beside her. That is, until he trapped her against a tree trunk, with his hands planted on either side of her head.

"Noel… what are you doing?" she asked in a breathy voice as her heart sped up significantly. Her big eyes darted between his muscular forearms and his achingly close lips.

"Kissing you," he replied, firmly placing those lips on hers.

For a second it was like everything just floated away. The sensation of softness and the heat of passion erased all the suffering they'd endured last night. Fragile hands reached upwards and rested on a strong and solid chest.

Intoxicating as he was, Serah came to her senses and pushed him away. "Not now, Noel," was all she said in a dull voice, as she started walking again, away from him.

A flash of pain etched itself on Noel's face, though he quickly fought to conceal it. The rejection stung him deeply. His confidence faltered. Was he remembering the moment on the Metrodroid Ring clearly?

Completely dumbfounded, he didn't even bother to move. "What do you mean?" he shouted to her, louder than intentioned, startling two birds nearby into a panicked flight. Confusion easily led to anger. He felt as if he'd been lied to.

He leaned against the trunk heavily, as if he could no longer hold himself up.

Serah wanted to just keep walking. As if by moving physically forward, her problems would just fall away behind her. But Noel wasn't a problem at all. Her fear and worry over the situation with the Academy was poisoning her feelings for him, causing everything in her life to seem bleak and misleading. In the tiniest corner of her heart she felt guilty about her feelings for Noel, as if she were cheating on Snow. That small doubt had somehow grown to eclipse everything.

"Serah, at least look at me!" he shouted again, his voice hoarse.

Her feet stopped moving. This was the moment. If she didn't keep moving forward she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop the pain. Slowly, she forced herself to turn around, though her head still hung down.

Noel's heart was beating painfully in his chest. This uncertainty was a million times worse than an outright rejection. Did she regret it?

"Look at me," he whispered, moving up to meet her.

Shimmering blonde hair lifted by increments, haltingly revealing the smooth pale skin of her cheeks. As her azure eyes met his own, he saw such anguish in them that it was like an arrow through his heart.

"I'm sorry, Noel." _This wasn't what she wanted to say._

"Why are you pulling away from me?"

"I'm afraid," she replied, looking down again. It was more than fear. It was an all-consuming despair.

He caught her chin in his fist and raised it back up. "So am I. But being with you is the only thing reminding me that there is some good in this world," he smiled weakly. "Don't take that away from me." When she didn't resist, he pulled her closer, his one arm around her small waist. "I need you."

The warmth of his embrace was softening the pain of loss that had invaded her very being. Too many people, gone. But of all of them, only Hope was completely lost. Lightning might one day awake from her crystal slumber. Snow might appear any day now, or in a year, or in fifty years. She had no idea where in the Historia Crux he had been when the gates suddenly disappeared. The point was that he was not_ here_. None of them could be here to comfort her or share a joke and a smile. Nor could she make _them _smile. What right did she have to happiness, when the others were… gone. Never to smile again.

It was like something inside her had broken. Slowly, finally, she let herself acknowledge how she felt towards Noel. Allowed herself to love him, just a little. Even though one day she might lose him too, living in fear of that moment - afraid of getting too close to him - would only make the eventual parting that much harder to bear. How could she live on, knowing she'd given up on the happiness that had been right in front of her?

"Don't ever leave me," she sobbed into his chest.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he replied, "I'm not like him. I'm never going to leave you."

On their nest of gathered branches, they lay; Noel holding the most precious person in the world against himself, burying his face in her hair. And so they fell asleep, without a worry of being found. For the first time since they'd met, they were both at peace.

* * *

Pursuit – (noun): a chase; a hunt.

* * *

"Ah, yes, we have a hit!" Ardea exclaimed from her seat in the airship. Her tablet was balanced on her knees, and the screen was displaying the transaction history of Hope Estheim's credit account.

"Where to?" asked Flint from the pilot's seat.

"Nautilus!" the woman replied brightly. "How predictable," she added with a sigh. The theme park was the most obvious landmark in the vicinity, only a few hours flight from the Soloch ruins. Also, she felt like there was something going on between Serah and Noel, and what could be more romantic than a ride on the Metrodroid Ring. Not her boyfriend, _yeah right_.

Commander Flint altered their flight coordinates accordingly. He was eager for this mission to be over. Or rather, for the real work to begin. The soldier never claimed to have a head for science, but he was a man of action and was always quick to isolate his target. This job was no different. Retrieve the Seeress, and allow Dr. Takeda and her team to study it. Years of searching had lead up to this day.

Four years, to be exact. Since the year of the Liowe Island tsunami. Back then, his unit had been deployed to provide emergency aid to the residents of the resort city moments after a deep sea earthquake was detected by Academy seismographs. Their mission had been to evacuate the island into massive Academy airships before the tsunami hit. As a top-tier pilot and squadron leader, he'd been assigned a large carrier that would accommodate at least 700 civilians. But as he approached the doomed city, the waves broke on the shore, high enough that seaside hotels crumpled on impact, falling inwards onto the crowded city streets. The water rushed in, carrying debris and vehicles through those channels, the path of destruction hidden under the great waves. Pushing the ship to its very limit for speed he'd naively thought that if he could just make it to the other side of the island, perhaps he could save a few hundred people. But the torrent beat him there. The entire island of Liowe was inundated. It was swallowed by the cruel ocean in minutes.

Up until that day, he'd been in awe of the scientific advances he'd seen in his generation. It seemed as if they'd been able to predict anything: each day, the temperature was never a degree off from the weather forecast; the result of years of observation and analysis. But yet, even though the Academy had detected the earthquake and alerted the military instantly, and even though he'd already been in the hangar, and even though he'd flown way above the recommended flight speed – the whole city had been wiped out. Thousands of people – dead – in the blink of an eye.

That was when his desire to see the future had spouted.

His goal was tantalizingly close, thanks to the concerted efforts of Dr. Ardea Takeda and Melodie Valencia. The biologist was regarded as the expert of hereditary traits and was well respected within the Academy. PIRT confidently rested the fate of their establishment directly on her shoulders - or to be more accurate, on her mind. The importance of her contribution was not to be disputed, it was absolute. But it was Miss Valencia who was the real driving force of the team. In only a few weeks after they'd established PIRT, she'd already infiltrated the office of the General of the military. A computer hacker with specialized skills, she'd altered research files, forged false missions and even applied the General's seal of approval to numerous documents that, in truth, he'd never seen. When Noel and Serah appeared three months ago, she'd run a background check on the new acquaintances of the Director.

"Val, don't you think that was a little impulsive?" Ardea scolded though her comm device. She'd called Miss Valencia to report the lead on the target's whereabouts. What she hadn't expected was the hushed and conspiratorial tone from her leader. The murder of the Director was sure to draw attention to their faction.

"He was on to us, Ardea," Melodie replied conversationally, her concerns for her own safety thinly veiled. "He'd discovered that the Soloch ruins mission was a fake. It was only a matter of time before he discovered who'd ordered the mission and why."

Stupid, thought Ardea. So utterly reckless. Their leader seemed to think that their organization was impervious to the scrutiny of the public eye. It wasn't. The death of the Director would cause an outcry for an internal investigation. With that level of examination, their group would be easily rooted out. And the murderer would be condemned. Melodie... she'd given everything for their cause. Ardea's chest burned. It was so irrational. If she'd just let Director Estheim snoop about, even if he found them out, they hadn't done anything illegal - well, aside from Melodie's hacking. Maybe she would have gotten off easy and just been fired. But now, there was no way she'd get out of this alive.

"You need to get out of there, Val," Ardea pleaded, again using her pet-name for her leader. "They are going to find out," she said drawing out every syllable to emphasize her point.

A snicker was heard from the other side. "It isn't that simple," the woman insisted. "I am already in custody."

Terror struck the biologist then. She was talking to a dead woman, surely. Tears welled in her eyes for the woman who, in four years, had become her everything. And now, always logical, she realized that their current conversation was probably being recorded. Wanting to spill the contents of her heart, to give one last loving goodbye, she couldn't. It was too late. She needed to hang up as quickly as possible so that her device wouldn't be traced. As she was about to destroy the device, she realized she wasn't strong enough not to say goodbye.

"Val, I-" she started in a tear drenched voice.

"Stop," interjected the object of her desire. "Don't. Just - finish what we started. Find her. I may not be able to see the future, but you will one day." And with that, the line went dead.

It wasn't as if Dr. Ardea Takeda wasn't enthusiastic when faced with the possibility of obtaining a live Seeress. She remembered when they first identified the breast cancer gene, BRCA-1. The significance was not lost on her, though she'd been a child back then. She was in awe of this mysterious blueprint called "DNA" which was integral to every human being. Even before birth, a person's hair and skin color are predetermined, as well as things like whether a person is likely to need glasses or develop a bunion on their foot. Mutations in certain important genes could determine which kinds of foods you can and cannot eat, such as the case of coeliac disease and allergies. More seriously, it was like a prediction of how and when a person will die. Of natural causes.

While writing her dissertation, she'd been distracted by a rumor going around the Academy that the Farseer tribe that was fabled to have lived on Pulse centuries ago was still around today. The name "Farseer" intrigued her, and it wasn't until she'd joined an underground research group that the meaning behind the name was revealed. Apparently this tribe possessed a young girl who could see the future, called the Seeress. Every few generations a girl in their tribe would be born with this ability. The more she heard about it, the more excited Ardea became. With the permission of her PI ('Principal Investigator' or supervisor), she'd written a theoretical paper on the genetic background required for precognition. It was published in Eden – Genetics, the most prestigious monthly magazine in the scientific community. The selection process was such that only scientific breakthroughs that would bring humans closer to the power of the FalC'ie were accepted. The acclaim that surrounded her then was enough to gain her a position as a Junior Researcher in the main branch of the Academy in Academia.

Since then, her research has been to analyze normal brain waves, and those nerve impulses activated in REM or dream-sleep. She figured that a seeress vision would be much like viewing something real that was not real, such as is seen in dreams. Most of her research involved the genetic makeup of the brain mainly in ways that pertain to the crosstalk with the eye. Certain genes that were turned off in neurons were disregarded so as to put a focus on her research. But, without a Seeress, there were no real results from her research, and her operating grants were not renewed.

She'd turned to her Farseer group in desperation, and they began the Precognition Investigation and Recovery Team, or PIRT. It consisted mainly of researchers such as herself in genetics, anthropology, history, geography and psychology. The rest of the group were people who, for whatever personal reason, were obsessed with the concept of knowing the future. Some of these were soldiers, and that was where Dr. Takeda met Commander Yohan Flint, Second-Lieutenant Blaze Pitman and Melodie Valencia. They began to infiltrate the higher levels of the military branch of the Academy, spreading rumors about dangerous ruins and even initiating false missions where they'd take entire platoons into an uncharted area and use them as protection while they searched for the Farseers.

Four years. They'd searched and mapped every mile of Pulse's plains and followed the migration patterns of behemoths and lobos, common food source of the nomadic tribe. And they'd found nothing.

But now, in the pursuit of a better future – one that they could predict in order to save lives – Ardea unashamedly licked her lips in anticipation.


	10. Farsightedness

**_Author's Note:_**_ Err… I just noticed that in chapter 8, I wrote that Noel and Serah were heading northwest, but yet I wrote in a sunrise that seemed to take place in front of them… Did anyone notice this? Sorry! I've edited the scene but yeah, this is why I need a beta! (Sept 18/12)  
_

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: Our heroes search for the Farseer tribe across the plains of Gran Pulse. Will they be able to see what is right in front of them or will they be preoccupied with what lies beyond their reach?_**  
**

**Chapter 10: Farsightedness**

**[Day 8]  
**

* * *

Farsighted – (adjective): able to see distant objects better than objects at close range.

* * *

Hunting was second nature to him. He could follow tracks in the crystal sand; find evidence of shelter and excrement to lead him to his prey. His eyes could detect movement of the smallest creature kilometers away. The scent of fur and blood on the wind was captured by his strong sense of smell. At the end of days, his hunting skills had kept an entire tribe alive. Now he only hoped he could do so again, by saving the Farseers of this era from the evil intentions of the Academy.

Of course, Noel had never stalked another hunter before; someone who knew what he would be looking for and covering their tracks. So, as he and Serah wandered the plains of Gran Pulse, he couldn't tell whether they were close to their target or not. They kept to the edge of the tree line at night, but traversed vast fields during the day, searching for any sign of human life. Recently he'd found bloodstains on the yellowing grass with no body to show for it, a sure sign of another predator in the area. That had been two days ago. Since then, there was nothing.

All they had for supplies were the survival packs from the mission, their weapons and the clothes on their backs. Unfortunately for Serah, autumn was progressing and every day was colder than the last. The jean shorts she had chosen for the mission did little to keep the chill of the wind off her legs. She tried not to complain about it, but Noel saw the way she shivered. When the cold snap didn't relent, he took the blanket from their survival pack, ripped it into two long pieces and wrapped them around her legs. The effect looked like riding chaps that a biker would wear.

Their diet consisted mainly of meat, though Noel knew some edible plants as well. In a way they had become the same as the Farseers, following the herds, living in the wilderness. It was a strange kind of symmetry – the Farseers hunted the lobos, they were hunting the Farseers and they, in turn were being hunted because they were confused to be the Farseers.

Of course, they'd had no indication that they were being followed. No airships appeared overhead thus far.

* * *

**[Day 6]**

Ardea followed the information from the shopkeeper in Nautilus, which led her to believe that Serah and Noel were going to travel far. Why else would they need a World Map?

They monitored the skies for flying creatures with human passengers, but the radar from Nautilus, and surrounding cities did not indicate any unusual activity. Next she consulted the migrational patterns of the herds – the behemoths should be passing just north of Nautilus heading east towards the Archylte Steppe. They could head that way and cut them off. Land there, and wait.

But, without the capability of sending a support team through Miss Valencia's twisted Academy measures, they were on their own. She knew if she contacted anyone from the Academy they might be taken into custody just like Val had been. There was no way for their party of three to search the entire surface of Pulse. So, first, they'd searched near Nautilus.

Ardea calculated how far Serah and Noel could have travelled. No visible flight 6 hours after the transaction at the gift shop in Nautilus, a max flight speed of 80 km/hr on Deathgaze times 6 hours means that they could have only traveled 480 km (or 300 miles) in any direction. It was unlikely that they would backtrack south towards Academia, so the radius was halved. On foot, in 24 hours minus 5 hours rest at a max speed of 5 km/hr means the radius was now 575 km (or 350 miles). As time wore on, the area of possible occupancy increased steadily. If they didn't pick a direction, soon it would be impossible to find their prey. So she instructed Flint to head northeast, and prayed that she was right. If they didn't find them after a few days, they'd head towards the Archylte Steppe.

* * *

**[Day 18]**

Sometimes Serah felt like she was being watched. However, she was aware that her fears of becoming a test subject could be manifesting themselves in such a way, so she ignored the feeling as best she could. In instances when she felt panic slip into her mind like an icy scalpel, she'd just reach for Noel's hand. His warmth always reassured her.

It had been two weeks since the mission, the betrayal and the beginning of their search. Serah and Noel had a new kind of relationship. They supported each other in and out of battle with more tenderness, and a stronger feeling of connection overall. In battle they were like one force, always knowing where the other would be. Traveling, they learned more about each other. Noel learned about Serah's parents and Lightning. How her sister had supported her, provided for her and the intense gratitude that Serah held for her older sister. Serah became familiar with the customs and traditions of the Farseer tribe of 700 AF. She had seen with her own eyes the desolate landscape that Noel had called home, but it was something else to hear of the feast days and festivals they enjoyed while his tribe was still large enough to do so.

The more she learned about him, the more she understood his need to connect with everyone. He was so easy to get along with, but that was because it was a joy for him to meet someone new, an experience he never had growing up. He was always told that his tribe was the last to roam the planet, but he always fought against that theory. He wanted to explore, to find others like them. So now, having met so many new people – on their journey through time and afterwards – Noel was satisfied, but at the same time, it only solidified the loneliness of his past existence.

Searching for the Farseers meant something more for Noel. It wasn't just to warn them. He felt that if he could just find them, it would be like a homecoming. He figured he'd be able to connect with them in a way that he couldn't with people who had lived on Cocoon. So as he searched, his mind was clouded by the prospect of finding a place where he'd belong. And there was always the fierce hope that Yeul would be there, waiting for him to return to her.

Noel was confused about his feelings for the young Seeress. He loved Yeul, but did he love her as a friend, or as something more? It was difficult to untangle his conflicting emotions while Serah stood by his side. Feeling guilty and ashamed, he tried to ignore the longing he felt for the blue-haired girl. But as much as he tried, he couldn't give up on the hope that she might be somewhere in _this time_, waiting for him to find her.

* * *

In only five days, Sergeant Evans and Ash Kenwood returned from the Soloch mission. Their airship had been stolen by Flint, Ardea and Blaze, so they'd had to walk. Between the highrise metropolis of Academia and the ruins in the valley, there exists a dry desert of red earth. Though it is a beautiful sight from the flight deck of an airship, it is a harsh reality for anyone having to travel by foot. Evans knew this, and didn't even attempt it. The communication device at his belt did little to aid him and his companion to return home, for some reason it could not contact anyone from the Academy. The researchers that had been living near the ruins had vanished by the time Evans returned from the shrine. Maybe they left with the others, or maybe they were just hiding, Evans couldn't say one way or the other.

However, the map on his tablet computer had indicated a small village not too far away from the ruins, called Kighs, where he hoped they might find a pilot. So they gathered up provisions from the portable outpost and headed north the next morning.

**[Day 5]**

"What do you think about all of this?" Evans had asked the teenager while they were walking.

"Well, to be honest, it kinda stinks," Ash replied in his offbeat sort of way. He let his new friend Caterpie slide up onto his shoulder before he elaborated. "I mean, that Ardea chick was _way_ crazy, so it wasn't a surprise that she'd attack someone. But I didn't think that the others, Flint and Blaze were up to anything, so I guess I'm mad that they tricked everyone. I'm especially mad that we have to walk the rest of the way …"

Evans was intrigued by Ash's assessment of the biologist. _Way crazy_, huh? Maybe it was because he hadn't spent enough time talking to her, or maybe she was deliberately normal in front of him, but he'd never felt that she'd done anything that he would classify as crazy. He reflected on the short mission while they continued their trek across the valley floor. Lush vegetation such as ferns and shrubs covered the ground, but what looked like a beautiful flower would often be a stalker-type creature that would spring up and attack them when they least expected it. Thankfully, Ash had an array of creatures that followed his command, and Evans had his Wolverine-157 pistol if he needed to defend himself.

So, deep in thought, he remembered the first meeting of the Soloch ruins mission. How Ardea had conducted herself in a very intelligent manner fitting a biologist of the Academy. She was outspoken, yes, she'd even corrected the Director. On the way to the ruins site he'd been in the cockpit so he hadn't been able to talk to her. He did remember Serah looking a little scared and relieved that they would be landing. Had it been something Ardea had said? In fact, it seemed that every time Evans had talked to Serah she'd been a little spooked. He continued to ponder the situation all the way to the village.

The village of Kighs was very small and consisted of a few buildings lining a main street. Houses dotted the landscape, far enough apart that they were probably family farms. Most buildings were made of metal and shone in the fading sunlight. They stopped at the first house they saw. It was a small one room cottage, built of blue steel. The low-pitched roof was multi-faceted like a diamond, consisting of solar panels joined at different angles. The place looked custom built in the most modern designs - in other words, very expensive. If anyone would have an airship, it would be the residents of this house.

Evans slid his finger down the holo-surface of the door, activating the entry signal. A pleasant chiming sound was heard. Immediately, a face was projected before them of a middle aged woman with light brown hair, smiling green eyes and a pale yellow shawl draped about her shoulders.

"Yes, hello?" the image greeted them.

"Hi," replied Evans, flashing her a charming smile. "My name is George Evans, and this is my associate Ash Kenwood," he said, indicating the young man to his right. "We were travelling and seem to have gotten a bit lost. Is there an airbus that flies to Academia – or maybe someone who owns an airship in this village?" he asked, as friendly as possible.

The woman looked them over thoughtfully before answering. "Sorry, I'm afraid this town isn't very populated, so we don't have many airbuses flying though. There is one that comes every weekend heading to Nautilus," she recalled, and then checked the side of her screen, away from the camera. "It will be coming tomorrow at noon. From Nautilus I'm sure you could find some transportation to Academia."

Evans nodded as he followed her explanation. If the only airbus wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, they'd need somewhere to stay for the night. He asked her if there was an Inn somewhere in the village.

"Oh, if you need somewhere to stay for tonight, you are welcome to stay here," the woman offered brightly. "It is a bit lonely living here by myself."

Though he was thankful, he insisted that they didn't want to be a burden. In the end, the kind woman wouldn't take no for an answer. She unlocked the door from her position with a click of a button, and the holo-screen they had been talking to just now hinged forward and allowed them entry to the small cottage.

* * *

Farsighted - (adjective): wise, as in foreseeing future developments.

* * *

**[Day 19]**

This morning, the bitingly cold wind ruffled Serah's hair. Shivering, she snuggled closer to Noel's chest, hiding her face beneath his arms. Without a blanket or extra clothing, their only source of warmth at night was fire and each other. These days, Serah would press herself against Noel with such force that he often complained that she was trying to wear him like a coat. So as she tried to hide herself from the wind, Noel rolled over, taking his protective arm with him.

"N-Noel," Serah's teeth chattered as she complained, "g-get back over here!"

Noel's face relaxed in a lazy grin. "No. I'm not a blanket." Then he got up and stretched his arms over his head. Looking down tenderly at his companion, her small form shaking like the leaves on the trees, he wanted to give up this futile search and bring her somewhere warm. This was a cruel mission, one they were not ready for. If they only had some more supplies and some warmer clothes… he thought sadly.

The woman gave him an evil eye, but attempted to fall back asleep. Laying in the fetal position, legs tight against her chest, she hugged herself and closed her eyes.

"C'mon, sleepy-head, it's time to get up," Noel said, offering her a hand up. When she refused, he reached down and removed one of her leg coverings.

Her eyes snapped open then and she pounced on him with a fury he hadn't expected. The brunette chuckled as he relinquished the piece of cloth. "Now that's more like it."

"Shut up," Serah replied with a pout. Refastening her make-shift pants, she ignored the man before her.

Hidden eyes watched them wake up, laughing silently. So these were the hunters the Elder had warned him about? They couldn't even sense his presence, and he was only inches away from them, cloaked in the shadows of the forest. _Farsighted fools._ The lurking stranger poised his dart gun on his lips, almost wishing they would detect him before it came to this. But, soon they'd be heading out again, so he had to take his chance now. Aiming slightly to the left of the male named Noel to account for the wind; he blew a dart directly into his neck.

"Noel!" Serah shouted fearfully as she looked up in time to see him fall to his knees. A small feather-tipped arrow was protruding from his neck. Her eyes searched the area wildly hoping to catch movement from their assailant. She kept Noel's prone form at her back in order to protect him. "Who's out there? Come on, show yourself!" Serah yelled at the trees after a few seconds of silence. A glint of reflected sunlight caught her eye directly in front of her, but as she moved to attack, a dart struck her neck as well and her vision began to blur. Through hazy eyes she could see the grass and a pair of bare feet – she must have fallen down. But she could only accept her fate as the sleep set in.

When she awoke, she felt a peculiar calmness wash over her. Flickering light danced along with shadows on the walls of what she imagined was a tent of some sort. A thick, spicy scent settled over her like a cloud. Her body was completely relaxed. Though she knew they had been attacked and somehow transported here, no anxiety overwhelmed her. In fact, it took her a few minutes before she even thought to look around for Noel. As she sat up, she found that she was not alone. An older bald man sat on a cushion a few paces ahead of her, his head bowed as if in prayer. His clothes reminded her of Noel's garments, a dark blue sash crossed his chest and flowing pants completed his outfit. Beside her, Noel stirred from his slumber and sat up, rubbing his head.

"Ah, I see that you are awake. Welcome, Serah and Noel," said the deep voice of the man in front of them. He opened his eyes then and swept his hands out in front of him in what could be called a welcoming gesture.

Serah managed a small "Hello." Noel said nothing at all.

"I am Orion, the Elder of this tribe. We have observed you for some time, and have determined that you mean us no harm. So, please, why do you seek the Farseers?

Finally rousing from his stupor, Noel asked "Why do I feel so calm?"

"Our darts have that effect. Also the aroma of the candles is a relaxant, meant to put you at ease after being captured and relocated here," Orion said as he indicated this tent. "This is the inner chamber of the Elder – the oldest member of the Farseer tribe. It is considered a great honor to be in the presence of the elder, so the whereabouts of this chamber are kept secret."

As her thoughts began to clear, Serah understood that they had finally found the Farseers. Well, really they had been found by them, but what did it matter who found who? Because it had been Noel's quest from the beginning, Serah left the talking up to him.

Taking a deep breath, Noel began, "Thank you for bringing us here. As you must know by now, we've been searching for your tribe for some time," he looked over at the elder Orion, who nodded. "Our purpose in finding you was to deliver a warning."

"What warning?"

Noel looked around expectantly, "Well the warning is for the Seeress. Is it possible to see her? To see Yeul?" he asked with a strange urgency that surprised the elder.

Composing himself back to his authoritative position he replied simply, "There is no Seeress at this time. The last Yeul died fifty years ago."

Despite knowing that this could be a possibility, Noel had refused to believe it. He figured that if he could find the Farseers he'd be sure to find her again. Now reality brought his hopes crashing down around him. Silent anguish filled him as he realized that he could never fulfill his promise to Yeul. To see her again. The last time he'd seen her, when she'd died in his arms, was the last time he'll ever see her.

Knowing this would be a hard truth for Noel to hear, Serah placed an arm around his shoulders. She continued their warning to the tribe for him.

"We wanted to warn the Seeress about the intentions of the Academy -" Serah faltered then. "Uh, do you know who the Academy is?" she asked sheepishly.

"Of course, Serah, we are the Farseers and not just in name. Through the Oracle Drive, we are able to use the visions of past Seeresses to better understand the current world and what will come in the future."

Slightly embarrassed, she continued, "Well, a group within the Academy believes that the powers of the Seeress are hereditary, and so they wanted to study your tribe and the Seeress herself, in order to harness the power for their own purposes. They are very dangerous."

_Hm_, the elder nodded in response. The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the flames of the candles flickering around them. It seemed that the Elder was thinking, or rather deciding on what to say in answer to their warning. Maybe he was trying to assess the truth in her words. For whatever reason, they sat like this for a very long time.

Finally, Orion opened his mouth. "You endured much hardship to deliver this warning. I know because my hunters have been following you since you arrived on our plains. But what I can't fathom is why. Our tribe is known far and wide for the ability to see the future. So why did you think you needed to warn us of this danger?"

It was all too apparent that neither of the outsiders had even considered that the Farseers had already been aware of the Academy threat.

Sighing, Orion said "The Academy soldiers have been trying to find our tribe for four years now." This information brought a gasp from Serah. "Yes, and for four years we have managed to avoid being found. They tried to track us with the herds. They've sent hundreds of men and women with guns to try to force us out of hiding. In the end, it did them no good. The point I am trying to make is that we are capable of taking care of ourselves, and we won't be found unless we want to be."

This was not the outcome Noel had expected. Nothing was playing out as it had in his mind. He'd been so preoccupied with the hope of redeeming himself as a Guardian – by protecting the Seeress of this era – he hadn't thought that these people didn't need his help at all. Now he sat in front Orion feeling no connection with the man. These were supposed to be his people, but they regarded him as an outsider. The reunion was hollow without Yeul.

It was Noel's only chance to make that connection, so he tried. "Elder, I am from the Farseer tribe in the distant future. My friend has been blessed with the Eyes of Etro. Is it possible that we may stay with you until we decide how to deal with the dangers that lie in wait for us?"

"Oh-ho, the Eyes of Etro, you say?" said Orion with piqued interest. "So you were the ones that needed the warning more than we did?" he laughed heartily at the situation. _What strange visitors they were indeed_. When he regained his composure, he accepted. "You may stay with us for as long as you need. But know this," he warned, "When you are ready to leave, we will need to use our darts on you once more, so you do not lead the Academy scum back to us. Are we in agreement?"

"Yes." - "Of course," the visitors replied in unison.

"Then it is settled. Niva!" he called. A middle-aged woman appeared in the opening of the tent. She bowed her head towards Orion. "Please take these two and outfit them properly for the weather." Then he again turned his attention to the man and woman in front of him. "You will eat well here, as my personal guests. Now follow Niva, and she will ensure that your stay with us is a comfortable one." With those words, Orion turned his back on them and bowed his head again.

Serah and Noel took it as a cue to leave. They made to follow Niva outside, but before they could leave the tent, the woman shoved them back. "At least say thank you!" she urged them with a scolding tone.

Worried they'd been ungrateful, Serah quickly turned and bowed her head deeply to the elder. "Thank you so much, Orion!" Niva smacked her head lightly. Confused, Serah looked over at the woman who then mouthed "_Elder_". Apparently it was offensive to call the Elder by his first name, though he'd made no indication of it the whole time they'd conversed with him. Either way, Serah felt she was making a poor impression on this woman, so she tried again. "Thank you, Elder."

Niva seemed satisfied with this and allowed her to exit the tent. Noel gave a nonchalant smirk and said a quick "Thanks."

Though it hadn't gone exactly as expected, the young hunter was glad that they weren't rejected outright from the tribe. They needed time to decide how they were going to deal with Ardea, the Academy and the dangers ahead. Even more importantly, they needed to figure out how they were going to live in this new world without Hope. A future with Serah was all that mattered to him, as to where they lived, it didn't matter in the slightest.


	11. Prevaricated Theories

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: Sergeant Evans and Ash are taken in by a kind stranger. Noel proposes an idea to Serah. **  
**_

**Chapter 11: Prevaricated Theories**

**[Day 5: early evening...]  
**

* * *

Prevaricate – (verb): to deliberately create a false impression; lie.

* * *

The inside of the metal cottage was larger than expected. The open floor plan allowed for Evans and Ash to see most of the dwelling without having to pass through doorways. Everything was revealed to them with a single glance. To their immediate right was a small kitchen with the counters and cupboards all tucked against the wall to conserve space. A folding table and chairs was placed in front of the kitchen, but could be stored away when space was needed. Opposite the front door, near the back of the house was what could be called the office as it had a desk and a large see-through monitor for the computer. There, at the desk, sat the woman they had just talked to through the holo-door.

She stood and smiled at them, motioning them with her hand to sit on the comfortable-looking couch to the left of the entrance. The gentleman Evans moved forward and took her hand in both of his own. It was a much more intimate gesture than was appropriate for a first meeting.

"Thank you so much for inviting us into your home," George said with sincere gratitude. The woman seemed a bit flustered from the attention this man was giving her, but the sergeant could tell she enjoyed being fawned over. As they all settled into the couch, he asked politely, "So what may we call you, Miss?"

"Oh," the brunette blushed lightly. "My apologies. My name is Joy Numenbaker."

"Miss Numenbaker, I-"

"Joy is fine," she interrupted.

"Of course, Joy. It is a very beautiful name," Evans continued to layer on the sauve.

Ash rolled his eyes. _Is he for real?_ "Yeah, thanks Joy for letting us crash," he said in a crude manner that clashed horribly with the sweet-talk from his counterpart. He looked around the surprisingly uncrowded room and saw only one small bed next to the office space. "Um, not meaning to be rude, but are you sure you have enough space for us to stay the night?"

Joy's green eyes smiled with only the slightest wrinkles around the edges. "This house has many hidden tricks," she said, pressing a slim button on the armrest of the couch. Immediately the cushion began to extend slowly from just behind their knees to about halfway across the living room area. Because they'd all been sitting together on the sofa, now they were all laying on the newly formed bed.

"Ah, a hide-a-bed," Ash said, only mildly impressed. After only a few seconds of laying on a bed with his commanding officer and a strange woman, the awkward atmosphere was thick enough to choke on. Before either man could say or do anything, Joy simply pushed the button again and they were back to sitting normally.

"Everything in this house is fully automated," Joy said in explanation. "To conserve space, much of my furniture is actually stored beneath the floorboards, and can be accessed by the press of a button."

"Very impressive," Evans cooed, although there was nothing impressive about it. In fact, back in Academia, this type of house was commonplace. But, he supposed that out here in the country, it was quite a novelty to have Automated Room Control, or ARC.

The teenager, always one with the blunt statements, unashamedly asked "And where is the toilet?"

For such a direct question, Joy responded with an equally direct answer. She pointed to the corner. There was no curtain or door, in fact there was nothing at all in that particular corner except, well – two walls meeting. Ash gave her a funny look.

To clear up his misunderstanding, Joy walked over to the corner and waved her hand at the wall. Instantly, an outline large enough to be a door frame appeared on the wall in front of her. She pushed gently on the wall which opened into a small, previously unseen room. Quickly comparing the dimensions of the interior of the house to those of the exterior, Evans realized there must be a few more hidden doorways on the left wall of the dwelling.

Now that they felt a little more comfortable in her home, George felt that they should get to know the woman better. Just as he was about to start some pleasant but meaningless conversation, Ash's stomach groaned loudly.

Miss Numenbaker looked over in surprise. "Was that your stomach just now?" she asked in a playful voice. The offending gut was hidden behind the sweating palms of the embarrassed teen. "We'll have to do something about that, now won't we?" she wagged her finger in a motherly way.

Joy walked over to the kitchen area and started rummaging through her cupboards. George got up and, instead of worrying about being a burden; he merely asked if there was anything he could do to help. Before long, they were all working together, Ash boiling the noodles, George cutting vegetables and Joy mixing the ingredients together to make a pasta sauce. They held some comfortable conversation about the strange sunrise they'd witnessed to the northwest yesterday. The house warmed up from the steaming pots and the good-natured laughter. When they sat down to eat, it was no longer as strangers, but as friends.

That night, the men laid down on their hide-a-bed with full stomachs and their minds at ease.

* * *

**[Day 19: early evening...]**

The Farseer woman, Niva, led Serah into another tent a few paces from the Elder's chambers, but stopped Noel at the entrance. "No men," she stated, and then closed the tent flap behind her. The blonde, whose hair was growing out a lovely light pink, waited patiently while the woman dug through a pile of clothes. Many times Niva would look back at her, as if to estimate her size, and then shake her head and return a garment back to the pile. In the end, she held up a long grey (though it was hard to gauge color in the semi-darkness of the unlit tent) piece of cloth. Moving behind the younger woman, Niva attached something at her shoulders. A cloak. The material was silky to the touch but heavy, as if many layers of fabric were sewn together. Thankfully, the cape-like garment wasn't too long, ending right above the toes of her boots. There was also a hood, but Serah didn't bother to put it up. She didn't want to hide her smile of gratitude.

The older woman shook her head of greying hair and raised her hands as if to say 'I give up'. She pointed at Serah accusingly, "You are too small. None of my clothes will fit. Sorry, this is all I can offer you."

"No, really," pleaded Serah, "This is perfect. I'm very thankful!"

Niva exhaled shortly in response. Next thing she knew, Serah was pushed out of the tent and Noel was pulled in. From outside, Serah found that this tent was one of many scattered among the trees. At least fifty greenish-brown domes were visible from where she stood, arranged in a circle, under the canopy of leafy trees. Noel had said that his tribe never ventured too far into the forest, but by the looks of it they were right in the center of one. In fact, the more she looked around, she realized she couldn't see any portion of the plains they had been traveling. Tree trunks extended outwards in every direction, and above their leaves blocked out the sky. It was hard to tell what time of day it was because of the shade.

People milled about around her, some giving her a second glance after they noticed her pink roots. No one bothered her, or even said hello. They all looked like Noel, she thought, but slightly different somehow. Maybe it was just because she was so used to her companion's appearance. Speaking of whom, there was a loud yelp from the tent ahead of her, where Niva must have been trying to dress him; in women's clothing, Serah assumed. Nothing she'd seen in that pile of clothes looked even remotely manly.

Noel exited the tent in the same outfit he'd been wearing before. Unexpectedly, Serah felt disappointed. It's not like she wanted to see Noel in women's clothes or anything – but the thought of him dressed in a different outfit was undeniably exciting. Maybe a dress shirt and tie… Serah mused with a small smile. The Farseer woman followed him out of the tent with a frustrated expression. It seems he wouldn't accept her kind offer of helping him out of his shirt.

"Fine. Wear what you will," Niva conceded. Then she looked up at the sky. "Another hour remains before supper is served. I will show you each to your lodgings. When supper is ready, I will retrieve you."

A complex look appeared on Noel's face as Niva turned around and started to walk away from them. As Serah moved to follow the older woman, Noel stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Before she knew what was happening, Noel had removed her left glove and was wrapping a thin piece of leather around her left middle finger. Then he continued to wrap her wrist, criss-crossing the cords until halfway up her arm. No words passed between them as he tenderly entwined the bands. Up close, his face gave the impression that he was deep in thought. When he was done, he laced his fingers in hers and rushed to catch up with Niva, pulling Serah along with him.

"Niva, I would like to stay in the same tent as my wife," he said with a steady voice. Serah let out a little squeak upon hearing this, but was silenced by a squeeze from Noel's hand.

The tribeswoman's head jerked suddenly to the side as she gave Noel a penetrating stare. The disapproval in the fine lines of her face was enough to make Serah sweat nervously. As if he expected this reaction, Noel held her stare unflinchingly. She inspected their clasped hands, the matching leather pattern that wound down Noel's arm and seemed to continue up to Serah's elbow. Finally, as if they had passed some sort of test, Niva nodded her head. "Follow me this way to the family tents."

The small tent they were presented was unremarkable. Distinguishing features were not desired by the fugitives, who may still be followed by Flint and Ardea, so they weren't offended. Their guide left them, stating that she needed to aid in the preparation of the meal. Inside the tent there was only one sleeping area, consisting of a pile of blankets in lieu of a bed. Some candles were lit on the low table next to it. Serah rounded on Noel now, out of earshot of Niva and the other Farseers.

"What in the name of Etro was that about?!" Serah demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at the man in front of her. Unconsciously, her right hand rested protectively on her left forearm, which was now wrapped in leather cords. She knew that Noel would have had his reasons for springing this situation on her without consultation, so she'd decided to go with it – for now. But if there wasn't a good explanation, she'd find Niva herself and put an end to this rumor.

Noel blushed slightly as he tried – and failed – to meet her eyes. Instead, his gaze rested on her arm. On what he'd done on a whim… The sight of his handiwork made the pit of his stomach drop and his neck to warm significantly. _Now is not the time to get nervous_, he told himself. "I was worried for you, Serah," Noel started, finally forcing himself to look at her properly. The scowl on her face was not the reaction he'd hoped for. Backpedalling, he waved his hand in front of himself in a protective gesture. "It's not what you're thinking! I just know how this tribe works, and I- uh," he faltered.

"You what?" the beautiful young woman asked slowly, with her hands on her hips.

The brunette shook his head, his bangs covering his eyes for a moment as he breathed a heavy sigh. Visibly bringing his emotions under control, he settled his shoulders and looked at her again. "Serah, I'm sorry for bringing this up so suddenly, but I," here he paused briefly before forcing the words out, "I really like you." A smile ghosted Serah's lips, but she forced herself to remain silent until he was finished his confession. "And I know how this tribe operates. Pretty single girls attract the attention of the males of the tribe. If you were to arrive in this village unattached – you'd be overwhelmed with men trying to… well…" Noel fixed his gaze on the wall as he finished his sentence "…sleep with you. I just didn't think you'd want to deal with all that."

Shocked by the blatant truth, an irrational anger forced its way out of Serah's mouth before she could think it through. "So you decided that it's be better that I sleep with _you_?" the words dripped like venom from her lips. To make that kind of decision for her was beyond presumptuous. For him to betray her trust in order to sleep with her was earth-shattering.

"Yes," Noel replied, surprisingly calm. "I'm not demanding anything of you. But these other men will," he said, blue eyes begging her to see reason. "I'll sleep on the other side of the tent. Just as long as everyone thinks we're a couple, no one will bother you."

Reality seeped into the seeress's consciousness. She realized that her Guardian wasn't asking her to marry him, or even sleep with him. He was begging her to let him protect her. As uncomfortable as he'd just made her feel, the sentiment was undeniably sweet. The fact that she had jumped to conclusions and assumed he was trying to force himself on her was extremely embarrassing. Her cheeks slightly redder than usual, she managed a quiet "Oh." And, after a few seconds she added, "Thanks."

Relieved that Serah was on-board with the plan, Noel stood – as best he could in the small tent, which was really not more than a crouch – and stretched his arms above his head. In the deepest part of his heart he felt a happy warmth that forced its way up and manifested itself in a wide smile. It's not like Serah had really agreed to marry him but… she didn't say no, either.

* * *

**[Day 6]**

It was probably around 3:00am when Ash woke up needing to use the bathroom. Half-asleep he distantly remembered that there was a hidden door in the corner somewhere. He stumbled off the hide-a-bed and walked with his eyes mostly closed and one hand out in front of him. When he ran into a wall he waved his hand like he'd seen Joy do yesterday. A door appeared in front of him, and he pushed it softly, trying not to wake the other two. Pushing the door closed behind him, his hand searched the inside wall for a light switch. The wall was freezing. In fact, Ash shivered due to the temperature difference between this room and the rest of the house. Finally, his fingers found the switch and Ash slowly opened his eyes to the harsh light.

The room seemed too big to be a bathroom, he thought as his sleepy brain caught up with his eyes. There was no toilet, no shower, and no sink. Icy terror gripped his heart as he identified the furnishings in this room: a stainless-steel table, shackles and chains that hung from the roof and the walls and a large drain in the center of the floor. A dark substance had dried around the edges of the drain. No weapons of torture were visible, but there were huge stainless-steel cabinets against the far wall. And a camera. What kind of middle-aged woman has a room like this?!

Ash's muscles strained with the need to run, but his feet remained planted in fear. His chest burned as he forgot to breathe. Slowly, as if sudden movements would alert Joy that he'd found the room, he forced himself to shut off the light before opening the door. The last thing he wanted was to be in a torture chamber in the dark, so even the seconds between turning off the lights and opening the door were too long. He pushed the door with all his strength, and nearly ran into someone on the other side.

Ash jumped and flung his body away, landing hard on the floor. The person reached down to help him up, but he scrambled back, crab-walking on his hands and feet, towards the front door.

Evans chuckled. "Afraid of the dark?" he asked lightly. He moved towards Ash and offered him a hand again. "I wanted to point out that you went in the wrong room," he pointed to the corner, "That is the bathroom."

The teenager grabbed the offered hand abruptly, pulling Evans forward. Whispering in his ear, so as not to wake the serial killer in the room, he said "We have to get out of here. Now!"

"Huh?" the sergeant replied, a little louder than Ash would have liked.

"Shut up, you're going to wake her!" he whispered with urgency.

"Wake who?" came a voice from the far side of the room. Light exploded in Ash's vision as the overhead bulbs were turned on. Joy was standing beside her small bed, in a soft-looking lavender robe. Her hair was tousled from sleep and a look of concern knotted her eyebrows. As she took in the scene, she noted the panic-stricken young man, the confused-looking Mr. Evans and the door on the wall that was still visible. Instantly she knew what was going on. "Are you alright, Ash?" she asked kindly.

Ash looked from her to the wall, where he noticed the door frame on the wall had not yet vanished. She knew what he had seen. They were doomed. He got up on shaky legs and made to run for the front door.

"Wait, don't go," she shouted, as Evans also yelled at his back. With the push of a button, the woman locked the door before Ash had a chance to get out. He turned and looked back at her with an expression of pure fear, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Evans asked.

His heart beating faster than it ever had before, but his dry mouth could not form a word. All he could do was point at Joy.

Evans looked over at their host, not seeing whatever it was that Ash was trying to point out. Joy smiled sincerely.

"I think I know what's wrong," Joy said, taking slow steps closer to Sergeant Evans. She pointed to the room Ash had just vacated. "He must have found the operating room. Without explanation it can be rather scary." Joy stopped in front of the door and pushed it open lightly. "Did I mention that I am a veterinarian?" asked the woman with a tilt of her head.

Ash collapsed against the door and slid down to a seated position. Evans moved forward into the room that Joy had opened. "No, you hadn't," he said quietly, now understanding the young man's panic as he inspected the "operating room".

"My most humble apologies, Ash. I did not intend to frighten you."

The explanation had nearly calmed Ash, but he didn't want to let his guard down too soon. "If you _are_ a vet, then what are the hand cuffs for?" he demanded. "And the camera?" he added.

This boy was obviously spooked. What did he think she was, some kind of serial killer? Joy thought dismally. "The _hand cuffs_," she replied, "are for larger creatures that arrive sedated. As their anesthetic wears off, they often try to kill the first person they see. I once treated a Zagnal in this very room, and it ripped the restraints right off the walls. It was very frightening." Joy shook herself, responding to the fear of that memory. "The camera is for autopsies. Often when livestock die of mysterious causes, the Academy wants a full report. Cataloguing such information helps identify and understand potential herd diseases that could wipe out the food supply, as well as zoonoses, which are diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans."

All of a sudden, in Ash's eyes, Joy Numenbaker transformed from a psychotic killer to an ordinary veterinarian. Again, she was the sweet lady who had invited him into her home without knowing anything about him or his Sergeant. The one who had fed him when his stomach grumbled. Completely ashamed of his behavior, he apologized. "Sorry, Joy, I guess I let my imagination take control of me."

"Nonsense, I'm sure I would have thought the same thing if I found such things in a stranger's house," Joy replied honestly. "Now that we're all up," she said, walking over to the kitchen, "Would anyone care for a cup of tea?"

* * *

_**A/N:** I realize that Serah and Noel have literally "slept" together many times in this story already. When Noel says the men will want to sleep with Serah, he is using a euphemism for sex. I thought about trying to clear that up in the text but I am quite sure Noel would feel uncomfortable saying anything more explicit. _


	12. A Silent Prayer for the Faith-Departed

_Story: Moving on... Without You._

_Chapter Synopsis: An old man reflects on the better days, wondering now what he could have said to change the future. _**  
**

**Chapter 12: A Silent Prayer for the Faith-Departed**

* * *

It was hard to look back on those days without feeling a sense of loss. The cheerful goodbyes and well-wishes he'd given Serah and Noel as they left on their first mission were difficult to recall, but worth the effort, in the end. It was important to remember the good times. The worse things got; the more valuable the past would become.

**[Day 3]**

The day Serah and Noel had left, Sazh Katzroy had kept his son Dajh home from school to see them off. Even the busy Director found the time to say goodbye. They were a real family, despite what their DNA said. The sun was low in the early morning sky as their airship took off, and Sazh had to shield his eyes from the glare that reflected back at them on the ground. They all watched as the ship rose steadily into the sky towards its destination. He continued to watch until it faded from view.

"They'll be alright," Hope said reassuringly, noting the concern on the older man's face.

Sazh rubbed his neck, as if he'd strained it from trying to keep the ship in his sight. "Aw, course they will. They're tough kids, far as I know." The black man looked down at his son, now seven years old, who was jumping over puddles that were left on the pavement of the hanger. "As for me, I'll need a new babysitter."

Dajh giggled and ran over to Hope, grabbing at his legs. The Director flinched in surprise before resting his hand on the boy's afro that rose no higher than his thigh. A smiling face looked up at him and said, "Hope will babysit Daddy. Right?"

Hope chuckled, "Of course. But you'll need to make sure he does his homework, right Dajh?"

"Yup!" the boy said happily, enjoying their inside joke.

Being from nearly 500 years in the past, Sazh was unfamiliar with the current language. After a mistake which had almost cost him his life, Sazh was urged by his friends to take an adult language class. It was embarrassing for the 44-year-old to come home with homework that resembled his young son's. However, he couldn't survive in this world without educating himself, and he took the jokes and humiliation in stride. He did it for Dajh. So he would be there when his son needed him. No more leaving things to chance.

"So that means you're cooking dinner, Mr. Babysitter –er, I mean Director?" Sazh asked with a hopeful grin, pointing the question at Hope like a gun.

Mr. Babysitter, who had crouched down to give Dajh a high-five, now stood and straightened his tie. "Sure," he said casually, "if you don't mind boiled flan and rice."

"Eww," the seven-year-old said in disgust. "My friend Poe says that flan are Titan's boogers!"

"No flan, then?" Hope asked mildly, the corner of his mouth twitching as he tried to keep a straight face.

"Nuh-uh. Pizza!" the boy demanded. It seemed the idea was exciting to the young boy, who began to dance around the Director.

Sazh shrugged his shoulders as the boy finished his dance and came running towards his father. They had pizza every time they visited Hope. After agreeing to meet at Hope's apartment at 6pm, Sazh tried to steer his son back to school.

There were no deliveries for Bhunivelze that day. The life of a pilot was easy enough, and allowed Sazh enough down time to look after his son. He did three deliveries a week, with a day in between for restocking the airship. Filling the ship with supplies had occupied his day until it was time to pick up Dajh from after school day care. An hour remained before they needed to head over to Hope's place. So they stopped by the only place he wanted to be. The Crystal chamber.

"Still dreaming, huh?" he said to Vanille, patting her light-blue crystal shrine affectionately.

Both she and Fang remained unchanged, since they'd arrived. The two women laying in fetal positions opposite each other, held together only by their entwined fingers. Peacefulness emanated from their features, frozen in the moment they'd completed their focus. Against all odds, two Pulse l'Cie had saved the people of Cocoon. Most importantly, they'd done it together. Now they faced an eternal crystal slumber, their reward for their service and sacrifice.

It was a regular occurrence to find Sazh in the crystal chamber. Sometimes he had Dajh in tow, other times he came alone. The Academy held them in a room deep underground. Because of the extent of environmental erosion that had worn Cocoon's pillar down, it was reasoned that further damage to the crystals may lead to their demise. What the pilot called the "crystal chamber" was a room with limited airflow where their crystals were kept. Vanille and Fang were placed in the center of the octahedral room. The walls were lined with computer terminals used to measure all signs of life from the imprisoned ladies. The lighting of the room was kept low at all times.

Sazh sat in his favorite spot, a niche in the crystal where he could see Vanille's face. "Dajh is growing up, y'know. If you don't wake up soon, he'll be older than you!" he sighed shaking his head. The young boy was playing a handheld video game. He seemed to be talking to himself. Like father, like son, he figured. "Even Noel, that freeloader I'd told you about, has a job now. He and Serah joined up the monster tamer task force."

His pleasant banter was almost all used up. He told others in a whimsical way that somebody needed to keep the ladies up to date. Realistically, there was no way to tell if his words ever reached them. The true reason he kept coming back and talking to unresponsive crystals was more selfish. It was like having a therapist, someone he could talk about anything and they'd just listen quietly. But it wasn't just that either. Even the tiniest speck of hope that his son would be freed from crystal stasis had helped him keep living back in his days as a l'Cie. Now, a similar speck remained in his heart, telling him not to give up on Fang and Vanille.

* * *

Faith – (noun): the unshakable belief in something without proof or evidence.

* * *

"Don't give up, you two, because the world's still out here. There are people waiting for you to come home. So don't get too comfy in dreamland," the man said, yawning. The thick hair of his afro cushioned the back of his head as he leaned back against the crystal, getting comfortable. "I can only wish so hard. The rest is up to you." He dozed off.

_Chin up, now. We'll be back before you know it._ Vanille's sweet voice tricked through his consciousness.

_Right, _agreed the husky voice of Fang. _And when you see Hope, tell him a man is as good as the company he keeps. Judgment of character is just as important as being strong. _

Dajh shook Sazh awake only minutes later. "Daddy, Vanille says we're going to be late for supper."

Sazh checked his watch, which now read 5:55pm. "Eh, gotta run girls! Don't miss me too much."

That night, supper was nothing out of the ordinary. Sazh and Dajh arrived at Hope's penthouse apartment at the same time as the pizza. They ate. Dajh watched a cartoon while Hope and Sazh discussed the chances of the velocycle champion Flash Midnight winning the Ramuh Rally, or whether his reign will be upset by the newcomer known only as Ghost. Sazh had a newfound interest in gambling and Hope was a huge sports-fan, so they often placed real money on the line for these major sporting events. After a few hours, Dajh was falling asleep on the couch so Sazh bid goodnight to Hope and carried his son home.

Their conversation had been pleasant. Normal. Good-natured insults were passed between the men. Sazh pointed out that Hope couldn't watch a race without getting distracted by the inefficiencies of the velocycle engine. To which Hope replied that Sazh was so old he'd fall asleep before the race was even over, so it didn't matter which contestant he bet on, he'd be able to convince the pilot that he'd lost, regardless.

**[Day 10]**

Looking back, there was so much more he'd meant to say. He hadn't even thought to mention the warning Fang had given him. Hind-sight was always 20-20.

"I guess that's why they say 'Live each day as if it's your last'," Sazh sighed desolately. "Cause there's no way you can know when you'll..."

"My deepest condolences, Private Katzroy," interjected Sergeant Evans to provide the man with a reprieve from voicing something so painful.

"Hey now, there's no need for those titles. I'm just a humble pilot," Sazh corrected the man he'd just met. "Call me Sazh." It had been only a few hours, but he'd already judged the sergeant to be one of the good guys.

Three days ago, Sazh had attended Hope's funeral. As the Director of the Academy and the creator of Bhunivelze, Hope had earned his place in the hearts of millions. So many people tried to attend the public ceremony that traffic in Academia was at a stand-still. In fact, it seemed as if the world had stopped for a moment in respect for that silver-haired visionary.

**[Day 7]**

The service was held in front of the Academy building, where a statue was erected in his memory. Being one of the few who truly knew him, Sazh had wanted to say a few words, but the bureaucracy of the Academy held him back. The General would have been the one to speak, but again, he was a suspect in Hope's murder, so he also was silent. The new acting Director was the previously Second-In-Command, Bero Vulcan. As such, he spoke the poetic words assembled for him by someone else, though he'd barely known the man. Even still, it was hard not to be touched when he'd said "We'd placed our hopes for the future on his shoulders, and he delivered. After giving us so much, now may he rest in peace. The Hope that he embodied is not dead, but lives on in each and every one of us." It didn't matter to him then, that the words were generic and played heavily on the homonym to the name of his friend, at that moment what mattered was that they'd been said _for_ Hope Esteim – former l'Cie, and forever a friend – who could not hear them. Who would not hear anything, ever again.

At one point in the service, when he'd been ready to break down and cry himself, he'd heard a young woman's sob next to him. Almost by reflex, he'd put his arm around her shoulder and soothed her saying, "It's alright, Serah, we'll get through this." But then, he'd come to the painful realization that Serah was not beside him, mourning their friend. Neither was Noel. Dajh was watching the ceremony from the upper balcony with his friend Poe and his parents. So, down on the ground level, Sazh was alone in a crowd of people.

Lost in sorrow, he looked up at the determined and smiling face of stone and couldn't help but think that the sculptor had missed something. The set of his shoulders was all wrong. Sure, when he spoke at meetings and when he made announcements and tv appearances, he'd had perfect posture. But these shoulders were too square. They couldn't be the same ones he'd cried on during his rare moments of fragility; the ones that slumped forward in defeat when he'd win a bet. It was hard to believe that those shoulders could hold up his son all the way around the park. No. Those were not the shoulders on which they had "placed their hope for the future" as Vulcan had said. This wasn't the Hope he knew. This Hope was the face that the people saw and provided no condolence for an old friend.

With that thought, he'd left the ceremony, making slow progress into the Academy building that was full to bursting, and headed in the direction his spirits were sinking. Down. In the elevator, he'd opened his comm device for the millionth time to contact Serah and Noel. His ears were met with nothing but static. That's when he knew something had to be done.

**[Day 10]**

Today, the appearance of the sergeant in charge of Serah and Noel's hunting expedition filled some of the gaps in his understanding of the events thus far. The conspiracy went beyond Hope's murder, beyond the disappearance of his friends, and, as they were about to find out – beyond the limits of time itself.


	13. Warming Up

_Story: Moving on... Without you**  
**_

_Chapter Synopsis: Serah enjoys a night with the Farseer tribe, with Noel as her guide. Noel opens up to Serah about his past.  
_

**Chapter 13: Warming up**

**[Day 19: suppertime...]  
**

* * *

Warmth – (noun): liveliness of feelings; enthusiasm; fervor.

* * *

Enticed by the promise of a meal that did not consist entirely of meat, Serah left the tent and followed her nose through the Farseer's camp. Right in the center of the ring of tents was a large bonfire, though she could barely see the flames through the crowd of people. The tribe was buzzing with activity and it seemed that everyone had a task in the preparation of the evening meal.

Young men were tending to the fire, where a large slab of meat, most likely a behemoth hind leg, rotated on a spit. The man currently in charge of its rotation was hardly more than a boy, with thin, lanky arms. His skin glistened in the firelight, sweating as he used both arms to turn the spit. As Serah observed, another young man, slightly older and leaner than the first, offered to replace him. The first boy shook his head, adamantly holding his position, though it was obvious that the effort was straining his muscles. The second man nodded in respect of the first's decision and walked a few steps back to wait his turn. Serah thought the boy was being foolish, but it seemed that there was an unspoken admiration of strength in this tribe that Serah was still getting used to.

The rest of the bodies that surrounded the fire were men and women working together to cut up green cactuar and succulent fruit. Both were mixed with what Serah later understood was minced flabanero, which provided a spicy flavor that was favored by the tribe. The mix was sautéed over the flames.

Serah noticed Niva among the older women who were kneeling around a large flat-topped rock. They seemed to be kneading some type of dough. Hanging back at the edge of the crowd, Serah felt a pang of self-consciousness. She wanted to help, but she didn't want to give the wrong impression by approaching Niva and the other older women. It seemed that every age group had their own work to do. Noel would know what to do, Serah thought, as she turned to head back to the tent where she'd left him. As if reading her thoughts, a hand at the small of her back made her abruptly aware that her "husband" had joined her.

Fighting the urge to squirm away, Serah tried to calmly comment on the situation, "It seems like everyone has their job to do…"

Noel looked down at her and then back at the flurry of activity before them. "It was like that with my tribe too, back then," he said wistfully. "The boys would work themselves to exhaustion preparing the fire and roasting the meat. It was always a competition. Strength always won, though not necessarily physical strength," he noted inclining his head towards the young boy Serah had been watching. "Strength of will is just as important.

"The married men and women generally felt no reason to compete anymore and would help with the more mundane aspects of the meal, so they could visit with each other. The older ladies put in the most effort and would start around midday so the bread would be ready for supper. The old men would rest up in the tents until the meal was served."

"What about the children?" Serah asked, curious as to why she hadn't seen any children below the age of ten.

"They come back from playing right before the meal," he said, now pointing to the darkening shadows of the trees. "Here they come."The kids bounded forward towards the old ladies. "They wrap the dough around sticks and bake it over the fire."

"Oh," Serah exhaled in understanding. She looked down as she shifted her feet. "Where do we fit in?" she asked timidly.

The tone of her question let Noel know that she'd been agonizing about how she could help out, but was too afraid to do something wrong that would embarrass herself and possibly Noel as well. _That is so like her, trying to lend a hand, even when she doesn't know how. _"Well," he started, grasping her wrapped left hand in his, "as a newly married couple we should be sitting over here," he indicated one of the many logs gathered around the fire.

It was a ways back from the supper preparations. The shadows grew thick in this area and Serah became aware that there were a few couples scattered in the darkness. Just as she was going to ask what they were contributing, she realized what these couples were doing. Kissing. These couples were completely entangled together, and blissfully unaware of anything to do with supper.

Serah blushed and looked away. "Noel…" she said in a small uncomfortable voice.

Noel laughed. "But you'd rather be over here," he pointed to the fire, "tending to the kids, right?"

Smiling in relief, Serah asked, "Is that… Okay?"

The brunette nodded encouragingly. "Often women who don't have children of their own yet take care of the little ones." When Serah hesitated at his side he added, "Well, if you prefer, I can find us a spot on the log…" to which Serah pushed him playfully. She headed over to the kids.

"Hi there, pretty girl," she said enthusiastically to an adorable five-year-old. "What have you got there?"

"Sticky bread!" the girl replied happily.

In the flickering orange light, Noel watched Serah interact with the kids as a smile played on his lips. _She's a natural mother_, he thought. Then he shook his head violently. _Where did that come from?_ he wondered. With a great effort he turned his gaze away. A few of the men gathered around the fireand made eye contact with him. One of the young hunters looked down at Serah and then back at Noel, giving him a thumbs up and a knowing grin. Noel abashedly grinned back.

As the food was being passed around, the Elder said a few words about how blessed they were to have a meal to eat and company to eat it with. He introduced Noel and Serah to the tribe. Then he noticed their matching arm bands. The blessed one, Serah, hadn't been wearing one earlier when he'd talked with them. He raised an eyebrow, to which Noel shrugged. So, in front of everyone, he offered his congratulations on their (very) recent marriage.

_Well,_ Serah thought as her cheeks reddened slightly, _it's too late to go back on this story now._

As they ate, Noel tried to explain as many Farseer traditions as he could remember. Many of the tribespeople came over and introduced themselves, and offered their congratulations. It came to the point where Serah was so overwhelmed with information and names that she figured she'd probably have to forget something to make room in her brain.

The food smelled wonderful. She tried to eat some of the stir-fry, but the spiciness of the dish left her fanning her mouth wildly. As she looked around for something to drink, the old man next to her offered his cup with a grin. Without a second thought, Serah downed the entire contents hoping to extinguish the flame on her tongue. Unfortunately, the burning sensation tore down her throat as she swallowed, and a horribly strong taste of alcohol remained in her mouth.

"I tried to stop you," Noel apologized to her, handing her a glass of water, which she gratefully gulped down. "Old people tend to drink a lot in this tribe. And their drink of choice is pretty strong."

Serah's head was already swimming. Though the taste was now washed down, the burning in her throat hadn't left, and was now spreading to her stomach. "What was that stuff anyways?"

"They call it 'Cieth Killer'."

* * *

Warmth – (noun): the quality of being intimate or attached.

* * *

Later that night, Serah was having a little trouble navigating her way back to the tent. Noel held her with one arm around her shoulders. The tent was dark. Serah collapsed on the heap of blankets while Noel lit the few candles that were provided. When he was done, he was at a loss of what to do. It seemed like Serah had passed out. Before, he'd promised her he'd sleep on the other side of the tent, but there were no extra blankets. The cold autumn air seeped into the tent and it was, without a doubt, too cold to sleep without one. Even Serah's new cloak would have been helpful, but it was twisted beneath her unconscious form.

Noel was torn. On the one hand, his brain was telling him that Serah wouldn't mind him sleeping next to her, because they'd slept this way so often in the last two weeks. But his heart told him that things had changed. He'd put his claim on Serah, which made her weary of his every move. If she woke up after drinking and found him snuggled up against her, she'd automatically accuse him of the worst behavior. He didn't want to give her any reason to doubt him.

So, as uncomfortable as he was, he laid down on the other side of the tent.

A few minutes later, there was some shifting of the sheets. Noel rolled over and peeked over at the woman in the bed.

"Noel…" she mumbled, her fingers crawling over the covers. "Mnnh," she groaned when her fingers met empty air. She made a whining noise as she lifted her head and inch and opened one eye. In the corner of the tent she could see Noel shivering. He sat up when he noticed she was awake.

"Is something wrong?" he gently asked.

In her foggy state of mind she said, "Why… are you... over there?"

"I was sleeping. Or rather, trying to."

"But… it's cold?" Sure enough, his teeth began to chatter. "Idiot... Come here!" She lifted the covers and slid over to one side.

He didn't need to be told twice. Noel practically jumped beneath the blankets in an effort to stave off the cold. Serah reached over and grabbed his arm.

"You're... freezing!" she exclaimed in a tired voice, as she began absently rubbing his arm with her hands. Still not fully awake, Serah's eyelids drooped and then shut altogether. Her hands continued their back and forth motion for a while, slowing until finally they stopped altogether.

To keep up appearances, Noel extracted his arm from her grasp and made sure he wasn't touching her in any way. It was much warmer in bed. Letting her steady breathing and warmth lull him to sleep, he closed his eyes.

"Noel…" whispered a voice right next to his ear. Moving only his eyes, he glanced at Serah, whose eyes were still closed and seemed to be asleep.

"Yes?" he whispered back as quietly as possible.

"Were you married?"

Noel lifted his head suddenly and replied in a nervous voice. "No. Never. Why do you ask?"

Serah seemed to mutter something to the pillow that was too low to hear. Resting his head back down, Noel whispered "Hm?"

"Your arm."

"Oh." Noel looked down at his right arm, wrapped in leather cords. For a while he said nothing. To the sound of Serah's soft breathing, he stared up at the tent and remembered when he'd been 'wrapped'.

"That was a long time ago," he said softly. "It was after a wedding in my tribe. The last one I can still remember." Placing his hand on his right arm, he continued. "I was a boy then, maybe eleven years old. Yeul was nine. After the ceremony, I found her crying by the well. I asked her what was wrong, and she replied 'I'll never get to wrap anyone'. At the time I was confused, and tried to cheer her up telling her that she was too young to get married anyways. When she got a little older, I explained, she'd find someone and fall in love.

"I still remember how she looked at me then, her face was so serious and sad, it was heartbreaking. She told me she wouldn't live long enough for that to happen. It bothered me how she always talked about her future as if she'd already died. I mean, she was only nine.

"So I told her that she could wrap me," Noel smiled and chuckled softly. "I didn't actually propose to her, but I really wanted to cheer her up. I said I'd wear the cords as a promise, that one day she would fall in love and marry someone. Until that day, I'd wear them for her.

"Tradition dictates that the person who proposes generally makes the leather from animal skins. Together, the couple wrap each other's arm. Women generally choose to add beads and adornments to their wrappings. I made the leather. Yeul made the beads she used on me. The number of times the straps cross each other is supposed to signify how many children the couple wishes to have.

"Yeul was so happy the day she wrapped me. She'd chatted on and on about having three kids and what she would name them. I was just glad she wasn't sulking anymore."

As he spoke, his chest tightened uncomfortably. The rest of the memory continued without his consent.

_Later that same day, Caius had found him training with his swords. The older man had grabbed the cords, causing them to bite into his skin._

_Wincing, he'd demanded, "Caius, what are you doing?"_

_"I was about to ask you the same thing."_

_The young hunter-in-training shrugged him off. "I was just trying to cheer her up, ok?"_

_"False hope is worse than no hope at all. As a Guardian, you'll need to learn how to protect her feelings as well as her body." The tone of Caius' voice was threatening._

_Not understanding why he was being scolded, Noel had lashed back at his mentor. "I didn't see you stepping in to protect her feelings when she was off crying by herself!"_

_"There are some things even I cannot do, Noel. But this… you've crossed the line."_

_"How can you say that? You should've heard her, talking like she was going to die any second."_

_"ENOUGH!" Caius had yelled at him, then. It was rare that the Guardian would raise his voice. "You'll learn. One way or another, you'll learn not to make such futile promises."_

A quiet voice brought Noel back to the present. "Did you wrap her, too?" Serah asked.

"No."

"Did you want to?"

He sighed. "I don't know."

Painful memories of Yeul's smiling face that day awaited him behind his eyes, so Noel stayed awake, staring at the roof of the tent for a long time. He'd figured Serah had fallen asleep again.

Barely audible above the sound of the wind blowing in the trees, Noel later heard her say, "I wanted three kids, too."


	14. Facing the Facts

_Story: Moving on... Without you**  
**_

_Chapter Synopsis: Serah and Noel have to face the realities of their situation. A decision needs to be made: where will they go? How will they live?  
_

**Chapter 14: Facing the facts**

**[Day 19: the witching hour...?]  
**

* * *

Fact – (noun): something known to exist or have happened.

* * *

...

The warmth of the tent had increased dramatically as the night wore on. The blankets the Farseers provided were thick, but was it really just the heat of two bodies that drove up the temperature? Serah flinched as a trickle of perspiration slid down her neck behind her ear. Even that thin line of coolness was a relief to her feverish body. She rolled over, trying to fall back into the soothing arms of sleep, where she could ignore the discomfort a little longer. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes with a sigh. The more she thought about falling asleep, the more awake she became.

The blankets shifted behind her. Noel was sitting up. She hadn't realized he was awake. In fact, she'd forgotten he was in bed with her in the first place… So, when she turned around already embarrassed, her breath hitched in shock to see he was removing his shirt.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, more than a little scandalized at the sight of his bare chest.

Turning to answer her, Serah noticed his muscular abdomen bunch from the movement. She swiftly averted her gaze.

"It's too hot, Serah. I can't handle it," he stated, his voice softer than she'd expected. She felt his hand touch her cheek, but Serah scooted away quickly. "You look like you're warm, too. You should think about taking something off."

'_I'm quite comfortable, I'll have you know!' _she had been about to say. However, she knew that she was sweating.

The situation was too bizarre. The heat, the nearness of a half-naked Noel, it was making her dizzy. And, really, was it so strange at all? Removing some clothing would be a relief. Looking down, she considered what– if anything – she would be comfortable taking off in front of Noel. The pink and white dress she wore was a one-piece. That was definitely staying on. It wouldn't be too scandalous to strip off her pink knee-high stockings, but doing so seemed a little coy. On second thought, she began to remove her gloves. At least that she could handle.

"See?" Noel said encouragingly, lying back down next to her. "I bet that feels a lot better." He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers.

Serah's heart fluttered at the touch of his skin. When she didn't protest, Noel pulled her closer. "You're still too warm," he noted.

Serah noticed his hand disappear beneath the covers. Next thing she knew, he was removing one of her stockings. Frightened eyes searched his face for any ill-intentions. She found them, in spades. This close, Serah felt the warm line of Noel's body against her, one hand trapped in his, while his other hand removed the second stocking from her leg by touch alone. His eyes held heat, and his lips were achingly close.

"Noel…" she whispered in the space between their lips. She felt her breath bounce back at her as Noel closed the distance.

Their lips met slowly at first, as if he expected her to push him away. But, after that first taste of his soft skin, her body moved on its own. It was _her_ lips that crashed into his and_ her_ hand in his hair, pulling him even closer. Their mouths worked against each other, hard enough that they needed to part every few seconds to breathe. When his tongue flicked out against her lower lip, Serah deepened the kiss enthusiastically.

Noel rolled on top of her, releasing her hand to cup her face with both of his. She stroked his back, the bare skin feverishly hot. As they kissed, their bodies pressed against each other. Serah wrapped her legs around his waist. He broke the kiss and began to trail his tongue along her jaw and below, kissing her neck and making her moan breathlessly. She raised herself up on her elbows, arching her back, and - in a moment of intuition - bit along his collarbone. Noel shivered and brought his attention back to her lips, crushing his own against hers with such force that their teeth grazed each other. His love was wild, untamed, and Serah found out how much Noel liked it when she used her teeth.

His hands trailed down her shoulders, and caressed her body in a long line. Again he pulled away, and she saw him gaze down at her body hungrily.

When their eyes met, surprise could be read in both of them, like they had never imagined they'd be in this position. Drowning in desire, Serah smiled and licked her lips.

"We are married, afterall…" Noel said in a husky voice as both hands reached forward to remove Serah's dress.

Her world had narrowed down to the man in front of her and the touch of his bare skin on hers. Nothing could draw her attention away from the drowning pools of Noel's eyes. From behind her, another muscular arm encircled Serah's waist, breaking the spell. Stubble grazed the skin of her shoulder as Snow's lips reached her ear. "The more, the merrier, right?" he said mischievously.

...

**[Day 20: morning...]**

The bundle beneath the blankets quivered. Noel lifted his head from his seat in the corner of the tent. Slowly, a tuft of blonde and pink hair emerged from under the covers. The morning sun's rays had warmed the tent significantly, to the point where it was becoming a sauna.

"Water…" Serah croaked in her raspy, sleep-worn voice. Though her body was shivering, sweat beaded on her forehead.

From where he sat, he said, "It's just on the table to your left." When Serah's right hand reached out blindly with grasping fingers, Noel chuckled. "Your other left."

Serah finished the small cup in one gulp and refilled it from the pitcher. Her face was flushed, her heart pounding. _That dream…_ she thought. _It was just a dream._ When her mouth no longer felt like sandpaper, Serah ducked her head under the covers again. _They better still be on… _she worried desperately as she looked down at her legs. In the place of her pink stockings were the make-shift leggings that Noel had made a few days back. Again, she found herself wearing jean shorts, a dark top and the cloak Niva had lent her. _Just a dream._ As many times as she repeated it, she still didn't believe herself.

"Are you alright?" Noel asked, as Serah disappeared. The combination of the alcohol and the heat had probably given her a headache, he assumed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Noel?" a small voice called from under the covers.

"Yes?"

"What happened last night?"

"Well, you may have had too much to drink. You passed out a little after supper."

"Did we… sleep together?"

Noel coughed uncomfortably. He knew this would happen. He should have stayed on the other side of the tent. "Well…" he started, worried that no matter what he said, he'd be in trouble.

Hearing that hesitation, Serah screamed "Noel!"

"Hey, it was really cold out last night," he replied with indignation. "And besides, you're the one that invited me over."

"Noel!" she shouted again, throwing her pillow at him with force.

He dodged it. "I was a perfect gentleman!" he complained.

That quieted Serah's anger for a moment. "What?" she blinked at him.

"Yeah, I stayed on my side of the bed the entire night," he said. As she became silent, Noel understood. _She thought that we... wow, she was drunk last night_. "Nothing happened."

"Oh."

The awkwardness that followed was thick and uncomfortable. Noel felt the need to flee. "There's a basin of water over here, so how about I get us some breakfast, and you can freshen up a little?"

"Sounds good."

"Ok, I'll be back in twenty minutes," he said, getting up to leave.

"Knock first!" Serah shouted at his retreating back.

* * *

Face – (verb): to confront directly.

* * *

The water from the basin was cool and refreshing. Being clean and having a few minutes alone really helped Serah feel like herself again. Now she felt that she could think clearly.

That dream bothered her. It felt so real, until Snow showed up. Why couldn't she just let him go? Why did her subconscious have to torture her like this? Now, when she'd finally found the courage to admit that she had feelings for Noel - that she always had - guilt haunted her. This fake Farseer marriage only made her real engagement come to mind, and the real marriage that she never had.

_He's gone_, she reminded herself. _I waited. I was good. _Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. No matter how many times she thought she'd grieved enough, the image of his face would send her back to the edge of despair again and again. This time, she vowed, she'd move on. _This time, I'm not going to cry. I'm going to sit here, knowing that Snow is gone and there is nothing I can do to bring him back, and I'm going to allow myself to love again. _Because that's what _he'd_ want and that was all she could do.

* * *

It was already late morning by the time Noel left the tent. Most of the tribe had been awake for hours now, and were gathering supplies and tearing down tents. He found Niva a short distance from their tent. She offered him some berries and dried-meat jerky for breakfast. Looking around, Noel noted that the tribe seemed to be packing up.

"What's going on?" he asked between mouthfuls.

The old woman scanned the edge of the trees unconsciously before answering. "I heard that the scouts spotted another Academy airship nearby. We're breaking camp here and moving further North, into the mountains." She patted his arm fondly. "You better wake your darling wife and pack up your tent. We'll need your strong arms for other tasks soon."

When Noel returned to the tent, Serah was folding up the large blanket. He offered her some of the berries and jerky, which she devoured.

"Whoa, calm down, there's lot of food out there," he chided.

As she ate, Noel watched her while he gathered up the courage he needed. "Serah, we need to talk," Noel said, scratching the back of his head.

"About what?" Serah asked wearily. Despite having a chance to think it over, she was in no way ready to discuss her dream with Noel.

"Well," Noel tried to find the right words. "The Farseers are moving on from here. We need to decide what we're going to do. We could go with them," he suggested quickly.

_Go with them_, she thought. _Live with the Farseers_. She hadn't considered that this arrangement could be permanent. "What about Sazh and Dajh?" her voice was quiet, hoping that he'd at least thought of their friends before proposing the idea.

Noel sighed. "We need to make a choice. Either we stay here with the Farseers, where we're safe, or we head back to Academia and face Ardea, Flint and whoever else they have working with them."

"We can't just run away!" Serah cried. "I need to know that Dajh is okay. If they went after Hope, who knows how long it will take before they attack Sazh!"

"But Serah, you have to remember that your life is in danger, too. In fact, you're in way more danger than Sazh right now. We don't know what kind of power Ardea had at the Academy."

"Noel, we can't just live in fear of what _might_ be waiting for us."

"But walking right into their trap won't help anyone!" Noel shouted.

Serah tore a bite off the jerky and chewed it deliberately. They both took a moment to think over their situation.

Serah broke the silence first. "Noel, I understand that you want to keep me safe and that living with the Farseers seems like the best option. But I want you to understand that Sazh is my friend and Dajh is like a nephew to me. My biological family is dead, but I can't abandon the only family I have left." She touched her arm wrappings. "I don't want to run in to trouble without a plan, but I can't stay here and pretend like nothing is happening out there."

After listening quietly, Noel nodded. "Okay."

Startled, Serah looked up at him. "Okay what?"

"We'll find a way to get back to Academia." He shrugged. Despite what he'd said, Noel had been ready to follow Serah wherever she went. He'd only wanted her to consider her options carefully before making a decision.

"Really?" she asked again, surprised at his change in heart. Only moments ago he was trying to convince her to live with the Farseers. She knew he'd be happier with that arrangement. It would be like the life he'd lived before, with Caius and Yeul.

"Yes," Noel insisted, chuckling slightly. "Is it so hard to believe that you've convinced me? I want to help Sazh and Dajh too, you know."

Having someone listen to her like that, with respect and consideration, was rare for Serah. No matter how much she loved her sister and Snow, they'd always made up their minds regardless of what she had to say. Snow would try to pull her along with his plans, whether or not she agreed with them. Lightning didn't even bother. With her, you either joined her or you got out of her way. _This,_ she thought,_ this is why I love you._ Her face lit up, like a captured sun-beam shining at her partner.

That look emboldened Noel. He would try his best to get them back to Academia safely. "I'm not sure how, but maybe we could catch a ride on that Academy airship I heard about. I hope they don't mind a little extra baggage!"

"Hmm, sounds like an adventure!" she said happily. She was glad that they were going home, whatever the circumstances. No matter what, family needs to stick together.

They packed up their tent, then helped to clean up the rest of the camp. Families with young children had already left, getting a head-start on the long trek ahead of them. Men and women stayed back to gather all evidence of their tribe before leaving as well.

Serah and Noel were left alone in the woods. They'd explained their situation to Orion, who'd commended them for their bravery. He'd offered them food, a tent, weapons, anything the tribe could offer, but they'd refused all except a few rations to fuel their trip back to Academia. When Serah tried to return the cloak to Niva, the older woman refused to accept it. She told her it was a wedding gift. As the tribesmen moved on, they all said their goodbyes to the strange couple.

"The scouts told me that they spotted Academy ship on the plains just outside of the forest." Noel pointed in the direction the scouts had indicated. "It should take us about two hours if we walk."

"Alright."

"As long as we stay hidden, and try not to make too much noise, we can sneak up on them," Noel said, trying to sound confident. "Remember, they're looking for us. We have the advantage that we know they're out there, and which direction they're coming from. Even so, try not to make any unnecessary noises."

"Got it," Serah replied, zipping her lips together.

After walking for half an hour – which felt at least twice as long to Serah who was practically holding her breath – Noel noticed something in the distance ahead of them. It was too far to tell, but there was definitely movement. He signaled to Serah to stop and they crouched behind a shrub. Whatever it was, the object continued its course towards them. Periodically, Noel peeked around the branches to get a better look. Serah held her breath. It was a man dressed in a dark uniform. In fact, as he emerged into the daylight they saw that it was Blaze Pitman of Strike team 3. There was no denying it, he was huge.

Noel looked over at Serah, her eyes alone telling him how surprised and frightened she was. _He's working with Flint and Ardea,_ thought Noel. There would be no other reason for a special task force member to be out here, so far away from the ruins, unless they were hunting Farseers. If Blaze was only just reaching them, Noel figured that Ardea and Flint would be close-by as well. He hazarded a glance behind them, hoping they hadn't been surrounded.

Blaze was getting closer, now his features came into view. His close-cropped hair matched the rest of his outfit - black on black. Looking like an assassin or a rebel renegade, he stalked the forest with his gun at the ready. As he approached the clearing that separated them, their chances of escape without his notice were dwindling. If they waited any longer, he'd be too close for them to risk moving from their cover.

Serah tapped Noel's shoulder nervously. When he turned to her, she pointed to their left. There he saw another shadow approaching. By the build alone, he figured it was Flint. The shape was too tall to be Ardea. Their options were running out.

Noel's mind was racing. If Ardea was with them, she could be approaching from the far left, by Flint, or from the right, by Blaze, as well as anywhere between them. They needed that airship, which should be dead ahead. Again, Noel checked behind them. Still nothing. The trees grew closer together back there, maybe if they backtracked a little, they could circle around to the far right and avoid them completely.

As he was thinking this over, Serah felt her resolve crumbling. They needed to move five minutes ago. It was too late, Blaze was too close. Noel tugged on her cloak, but her eyes wouldn't budge from the approaching men.

"Serah," he whispered, as calmly as he could. "We're going to backtrack a bit, and then head to the right." Her eyes widened in terror. He gripped her shoulders and reassured her, "If we're quiet they won't look this way. After two minutes, we run. If they see us, run. Head towards the airship. If we get separated," Serah shook her head, her eyes pleading him not to abandon her. "Just head back into the woods and hide."

Then, Noel got to his feet slowly, helping Serah to stand as well. Holding her hand, he took the first step back the way they came. He fought the urge to look back to see if the others had spotted them. When he was sure Serah was following, he let go of her hand and quickened his pace. As difficult as it was to keep moving at a light jog, anything faster would make too much noise.

It seemed to be working. The figures of the men were no longer visible. Noel looked all around them. The dense trees were good cover. This would be enough, he thought, as he turned to the left (or their former right). There was a loud_ 'crack'_ behind him. It was probably just a twig breaking under Serah's feet, Noel assumed as he threw a glance over his shoulder.

He found Serah sprawled on the forest floor, arms bloodied in an attempt to protect her face. Her cloak hung in midair behind her, its fabric caught on a jagged branch. Despite her fear, or maybe because of it, Serah hadn't cried out. She got to her feet as quickly and quietly as possible. As she turned to retrieve her cloak, Noel admonished her.

"Leave it!" he said, a little louder than he'd intended.

"Over there!" a shout rang out in the still woods, to their left, closer than expected.

Noel grabbed Serah's wrist and began sprinting towards the airship that was still out of sight.

"I've got a visual!" shouted Blaze. "North-west, 5 meters."

"Get 'em!" Flint ordered.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Noel thought as he ran blindly through the trees. He could hear Blaze gaining on them. They needed to get to the airship. If they could just beat them to it, they might have a chance. He hoped Serah had some idea how to pilot the thing. Behind him, Serah slowed her pace momentarily, causing his grip on her wrist to tighten to the point where he was practically dragging her. He looked back.

Serah had been digging in her satchel with her free hand. Having found the crystal she was looking for, she held it up for Noel to see. With a nod, he released her hand. Gunblade drawn, she shot the crystal, releasing the creature. Just as their enemy's bullets rang out, the armadillon Bunkerbeast materialized before them to absorb the damage.

* * *

Face – (verb): to oppose defiantly.

* * *

"Bunkerbeast?" Noel asked a little surprised at her choice. The monster she'd chosen was a slow Sentinel. It meant she was planning to stay and fight.

Serah nodded. With her blade out and her eyes narrowed to slits, she looked dangerously serious.

Flint caught up to them and positioned himself beside Blaze. Both men carried semi-automatic machine guns. Still, Ardea did not appear.

"Remember," they heard Flint say, "We need the Seeress. Take out the guy first, then aim to wound."

As they raised their weapons towards Noel, Bunkerbeast roared ferociously. Their attention was averted to the beast.

"On second thought, take out that thing first!" Flint shouted.

A barrage of bullets could be heard, but the creature's steel-like scales repelled their attacks.

"_Delta Attack_," Serah muttered under her breath.

Noel reached for his blades behind him, but he saw Serah dart around Bunkerbeast brandishing her gunblade. _So she wants to be the Commando, huh?_ He backed her up with the area-effect wind magic Aeroga.

Targeting Flint first, Serah released a four-slash combo attack, finishing with gun-shot as she jumped back behind Bunkerbeast. Flint's arm was bleeding heavily where he'd tried to block her attack, and was now unable to hold up his gun. As he abutted the gun against his other shoulder, his feet were swept from under him by a gust of wind. The cyclone tossed the men about like ragdolls and then dropped them unceremoniously to the forest floor as the wind subsided.

"What the hell was that?" demanded Blaze as he got to his feet.

"Serah, they're susceptible to magic!"

"Got it. _Mystic Tower_!" Serah replied, as she adopted the role of a magic-using Ravager.

Noel continued to cast wind-type spells. Serah's fire-type spells fed on the wind, burning hotter and longer as a result. The smell of searing flesh hung close in the dense forest. Bullets continued to rain on Bunkerbeast, but the creature defended against them easily.

In minutes, the battle was over. Having only their guns and a few healing potions, these two were no match for Noel and Serah. When she was sure they were knocked out, Serah kicked away their guns. Blaze lay face up, his charred skin was black and peeling. His companion was in a crumpled heap a meter away. They were still breathing, but barely.

Still looking down on the pair they'd just defeated, Serah asked Noel if he thought Ardea was with them. "Do you think she's in the airship?"

Bunkerbeast returned to crystal form in the palm of her hand. She stashed it away as she turned to Noel, who hadn't answered her question. "Noel, what -!"

Only a few paces behind her, Ardea held Noel in a neck lock, with a large needle poised against his neck. "Don't move," she cautioned. Her lips curled in an unholy smile.


	15. Trial by Fire

_Story: Moving on... Without you**  
**_

_Chapter__ Synopsis: A dangerous confrontation. Will Serah be able to fight when Noel's life hangs in the balance? And how can Sazh and Sergeant Evans help them when the government, military and scientific authority - in other words, The Academy - is at the root of the conspiracy?_

**Chapter 15: Trial by Fire**

**[Day 20]  
**

* * *

Trial – (noun): a tentative or experimental action in order to ascertain results; experiment.

* * *

Serah's breath caught in her throat. Her heart stopped at the sight of the manic biologist. She blinked to clear the image, but Ardea remained, the demon from her nightmares.

"That's right, stay where you are." Ardea tightened her hold on Noel, who was struggling against her. "You too," she added, her needle piercing the skin of his neck. "I'm not afraid to use this." His body stiffened. He had no idea what she had in the syringe, but figured it was best not to find out.

Snapping out of her daze, Serah breathed, "How -?"

Ardea kicked the empty vial of Deceptisol that lay at her feet. "I hardly needed it, you were so focused on taking them out," she said glancing at her fallen comrades.

"What do you want?" Serah asked, buying time while she looked for an opening to attack Ardea. Unfortunately, she held Noel snugly against her chest, using him as a human shield. Even her face was barely visible behind him.

"You know what I want."

"To see the future…" Serah mumbled, unimpressed.

"Yes, Seeress."

"But I told you, the ability, it's not genetic. It's a gift."

Understanding that no words she could say would convince the scientist, she boldly offered her bare forearm. "You want my blood? Take it!"

The gesture surprised Ardea, who loosened her grip on Noel for a split second. However, the needle never left his skin, so Noel had no choice but to remain still. It was then that he discovered that this woman didn't have a plan. If she let go of him she'd be outnumbered, two to one. But, if she killed him, she'd have no bargaining chip with Serah. She was betting her life on the suspicion that Serah would do anything to protect him. The sad part was that she was probably right.

"Revive my teammates first," Ardea demanded.

"Don't," shouted Noel.

"Do it or I'll kill your friend," she snarled. Serah's eyes flicked back and forth between their faces.

"Serah, we don't know what this is," Noel managed to say in a strangled voice, his wide eyes alluding to the syringe at his neck. "We've got the upper hand, just attack her!"

"Noel!" Serah cried, torn by indecision. There was no clear shot to take and she wouldn't risk hitting Noel by mistake.

"Shut up!" Ardea yelled, injecting some of the liquid into Noel's jugular. His body instantly fell limp in her arms.

"NOEL!" Serah screamed.

"This is paralysis poison," Ardea explained, her tone nonchalant, as if she were describing a study she'd read. "A little dose like this will have him unconscious for an hour. But any more," she smiled, as Serah noticed just how much poison there was left in the syringe, "And he'll never wake up again." Beneath her black fringe her brown eyes narrowed threateningly. "So, do as I say, and revive them."

There was no hesitation in Ardea. Fear and uncertainty coiled around Serah like seaweed, threatening to drag her down into the depths of despair. The syringe was still three-quarters full. No matter what she did now, both of their lives were on the line.

"What'll happen if I do?"

"We'll take you back to the Academy," she replied. Upon seeing Serah's calculating look, Ardea barked, "My lab won't wait forever! Revive them now, or the next test I do on your friend will be an autopsy."

If she returned to Academia as a hostage, it was still possible that she could escape. Serah weighed her options carefully, because if she revived Flint and Blaze, there would be no chance for her to change her mind.

"Will you leave Noel out of this?" she asked.

"Worried about your boyfriend? How touching. But no. It's obvious that you'll comply with our wishes if we have a hostage. So he'll come with us. If you disobey, he'll be the one that's punished."

_Negotiate,_ Serah thought. _There could still be a way out of this._ "You said you just wanted a DNA sample. I'll give it to you, freely, if you just let us go."

"Bargaining? In your situation? I don't have time for this. You _will_ do as I say."

"If you kill Noel, I'll kill you," Serah threatened, raising her gunblade. In the back of her mind, she was screaming. Her desperation to protect Noel, as well as the fear of losing him begged her to comply with Ardea's demands. If the woman called her bluff… _No. Focus. Make her believe it._ "You have no other power over me. Flint and Blaze are unconscious. I know I can take you out with one spell."

"Idle threats, you'd never risk him."

"It's a stalemate, then. I won't revive them. If you kill Noel, you're out of options."

* * *

**[Day 8]**

After the funeral, Sazh felt lost. He had no idea why Hope had been killed, but he didn't believe the garbage they were airing on the news. Reporters claimed that Hope was having an illicit affair with the General's wife. According to them, the General shot Hope in a fit of rage. Firstly, he knew that Hope would do no such thing. And more to the point, he found it peculiar that the woman in question, the general's wife, had killed herself the same night that Hope was murdered. Everyone involved in the story was either dead or in custody. It was too convenient. It was also suspicious that the General's secretary had since been promoted, and now worked under the new Director, Bero Vulcan.

Despite his misgivings, Sazh continued his deliveries, because he felt unable to do anything else of value. Suspicions alone wouldn't avenge Hope's murder, nor would they bring back Serah and Noel. However, he found that no matter how much he tried to ignore it, the feeling that Hope was set-up wouldn't leave him.

It was times like these when he wished he'd joined the Academy, rather than working freelance. If he was a member, he'd have access to their database, where he suspected he'd find clues as to what was going on. But now his status worked against him. In fact, after the funeral, even his access to the crystal chamber was revoked. New regulations stated that only members of the Academy were permitted within the facility. Armed guards were now stationed at the entrance. Sazh was nearing his limit, unable to ignore the questionable conduct of the institution much longer.

Two days later, Sazh found a sergeant of the Academy at his door. The man looked travel-worn and desperate.

**[Day 10: evening...]**

"Sazh Katzroy?" the man inquired.

"Who wants to know?" Sazh looked him over wearily from the doorway. The uniform the man wore, so similar to the one that outfitted Hope for all those years, now gave Sazh a feeling of unease.

"Sergeant George Evans," the young man offered his hand and a smile. It was then that Sazh noticed the dirt on his knees and the wrinkles in the fabric of his uniform. He looked like he'd been wearing the same clothes for days. The stranger's pale blue eyes were surrounded by dark circles, and his short sandy brown hair was in disarray. But, despite this shady appearance, the warm smile and confident voice reassured Sazh, even before he realized it. "I have much to discuss with you. It's about Noel and Serah."

"Would you like to come in?" Sazh asked stepping back from the door.

"Thanks," Evans replied as he glanced over his shoulder and hurried inside.

_Light a fire and see what burns. Its melody will reveal the future._

The last few days that Evans and Ash had spent in Nautilus had passed in a flurry of research. With the coded message of the General on his mind, Evans had sat down with his tablet and enabled the projection keyboard. After analyzing the mission log of the Soloch ruins - a dead end – Evans had followed his suspicions and searched the database for information on Serah and Noel. Something was bothering him about their disappearance. Maybe it had been her call he received on his comm device:

_Don't trust anyone! Flint and Ardea…_

Why would they bother making a fake mission to ruins that had already been investigated? _Could it be that the mission was just to get Serah and Noel alone? Why? _They just seemed like ordinary people. Maybe a little more skilled in battle than you'd expect. But then, Director Estheim seemed to know them…

This line of research had lead Sergeant Evans to Mr. Kazroy. All of them, Serah, Noel and Sazh had received apartments bought by the Director himself. Aside from the bill of sale and home ownership papers, none of their names came up in the database prior to three months ago. Not even a birth certificate. They'd never gone to school. They'd never had a job. Medical records were missing.

Having led him into the living room area of his apartment, Sazh currently rounded on Evans, with worry plain on his face. "Where are they? Are they in danger?"

The sergeant composed his answers as best he could. This man was a friend of Serah and Noel as well as a friend of the late Director Estheim. Evans could tell that Sazh wanted to trust him, but was struggling to understand his role in the Academy. So, the sergeant tried his best to be completely honest from the start. If this went well, he may get some answers regarding Serah and Noel, specifically why Ardea, Flint and Blaze had been after them.

While they talked, Evans noted in the back of his mind that the television was on, and that Sazh had been watching something prior to his visit. It was late, so Evans supposed the son, Dajh, was already asleep. During a lull in the conversation, right after he'd finished explaining the strange circumstances of Serah and Noel's disappearance from the mission, Evans looked over at the tv. The current channel was airing a documentary about the life of Hope Estheim. Sazh noticed the other man's distraction and turned up the volume with the remote.

A scholarly-looking man with thick glasses was on screen. "…the unique timeline of the former Director's existence. From documentation and his own assurances, we believe he was born 14 years before the Fall of Cocoon. To us, that would be 14 BF, before the fall, or 514 years ago. The years after the Fall marked the beginnings of the institution of the Academy by his father, Bartholomew Estheim. As a teenager, Hope Estheim worked for the Academy part-time while he completed his degree in Theoretical Physics. He'd worked and lived normally until 13 AF, at age 27, when he used a time capsule of his own design to travel 387 years into the future. There, in 400 AF, he conceptualized the construction of "New Cocoon" or Bhunivelze before travelling another 100 years forward so he could see its realization…"

"Explaining it like that, they make him sound like a superhero or something," Sazh chuckled to himself. He imagined how flustered Hope would be if he'd been around to watch programs like this one.

"It's kind of hard not to think like that, given the details," Evans agreed. "But there's more to it, isn't there?" he asked pointedly.

"There's always more than one way to become a superhero," Sazh allowed, speaking slowly. His dark hair tilted back as he paused, staring at the roof. "Time is relative, isn't it?"

This was it, the truth at last, thought Evans. "What do you mean?" he asked, aware that his voice betrayed his anticipation of the answer.

"I guess it all started before the fall of Cocoon, back when humans were under the control of the FalC'ie…."

They talked long into the night. Sazh explained everything from the beginning, including their roles as l'Cie in the Fall of Cocoon, the time-travel, and most importantly, what really happened the day the crystal pillar broke. For Evans, memories of that day were unclear. He only remembered that the sky had gone black for a moment, only to return to normal. The authorities had assured the public that it had been a weather anomaly caused by the increase in crystal dust in the air. But Evans had never been able to shake that memory when, for a brief moment, he'd felt absolute terror.

So it wasn't just a dream. The man – no, the immortal – Caius Ballad had distorted the timeline in an effort to end the cycle of death and rebirth of the Seeress. He'd let chaos enter the mortal realm but another, this "Lightning", had saved them. It was too much information to take in at once. Perhaps to others, Sazh's story would be considered an old man's delusions. But Evans was a good judge of character. He could see the truth in the man's dark eyes.

The seeress existed. Just like in the tales about the Farseers and the Oracle Drive that Serah had explained, she had the ability to see the future. What an amazing gift that would be.

_"…its melody will reveal the future…"_ Evans murmured only half to himself, "I still don't understand the second part of the message. It must have something to do with the seeress, but I can't think of any musical connection."

"Melody? Hmm," Sazh considered thoughtfully. "I heard that name recently…" he got up to stretch and paced his apartment. "Hey! Wasn't that the name of the General's secretary– the one who'd been mysteriously promoted?"

"You're right, Melodie Valencia!" Evans exclaimed, running a hand through his short brown hair. "She would have had access to all of the General's files, including the mission logs. And she would have been in the General's office when…"

Sazh nodded. They were definitely on to something. "But now she's secretary to the Director… You don't think the conspiracy goes all the way up to Bero Vulcan?!"

* * *

Fight fire with fire: to use the same tactics as one's opponent.

* * *

**[Day 20]**

Brown eyes met blue over the carnage of her comrades. Noel's body was becoming annoyingly heavy. Ardea's arms protested at the weight, but the moment she dropped him, her threat was moot.

"This isn't just about winning lottery numbers, you know!" she shouted, knowing her plan was failing. It had been falling apart since her companions' defeat. Alone, all she had were her words. "We want to help people! With precognition, the Academy would be the protective force that the people can count on. Think of all the lives we could save!"

"I'm not fighting your good intentions, Ardea," Serah said slowly. "I'm telling you it will never happen. Not like this. No matter how much you study me, I'll never have another vision. The goddess is dead. Even if you kill me, it won't bring you any closer to your ideal."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Ardea spat at her. It infuriated her that this woman kept insisting she was wrong. What did she know about genetics? This was her life's work, her contribution to society, and this girl acts like _she's_ the expert.

She needed to force Serah's hand, because soon enough she'd have to put Noel down. "Decide now, Seeress. Either your boyfriend comes with us alive or in a body bag."

She began to force in the plunger of the syringe. Each drop of poison burned in Serah's own heart as it flowed into Noel's neck.

"Stop!" Serah screamed. She bowed her head in defeat. "I'll do it. Just – stop."

Smirking, Ardea moved her thumb off the plunger. "Get on with it, then."

Serah crouched in front of Blaze. She gathered her thoughts. This was her only chance. If she could cast Pain (paralysis) on Ardea, the biologist wouldn't be able to inject any more of that damnable poison into Noel. Then they could escape. But if the spell failed… her heart gave a nervous flutter. She took a deep breath. It was risky, but getting nervous would only make it worse. She needed to believe in herself. If she had faith in her abilities, she could do it. Calming her mind, she concentrated on her magic_. I can do it. I can do it. I can…_

The air around Serah shimmered, her aura spiraling about her like ribbons that tightened around her skin. When the glow dissipated, Ardea saw Serah hover her hands over Blaze's charred skin. The scientist smiled, aware that she was going to get exactly what she wanted.

Without warning, Serah pivoted on her toes, her hands outstretched in Ardea's direction. A spell glowed on her fingertips as she shouted "Pain!" like a war-cry.

Ardea widened her eyes in astonishment as she lost all control of her muscles. In the brief instant before the spell came into effect, Ardea's fingers twitched in shock. Noel's rigid form weighed her down and both of their frozen bodies fell to the ground.

Serah ran to Noel's side. She pried the scientist's stiff fingers off of the needle, and in a rush of adrenaline, tossed the scientist aside. The needle was still deeply imbedded within Noel's neck. The syringe chamber was empty.

"No!" she screamed, remembering the biologist's words _'Any more and he'll never wake up again.'_

Immediately casting Esuna, Serah prayed that Ardea had been lying.

"No, no, nononono!" The words fell from Serah's lips unconsciously. Her hands shook as they caressed his cheek. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her view of Noel's peaceful face. The spell hadn't helped.

For a few seconds, shock held Serah in place, her body frozen as if she, too, was paralyzed. Brown wisps of Noel's hair fanned out on the forest floor, over the yellows and browns of the fallen leaves, making his pale skin glow in contrast. His eyes were shut, long lashes resting lightly against his iridescent skin. Silent tears wet her cheeks. More than anything, Serah needed to see his midnight blue eyes – his eyes, he needed to open his eyes!

Snapping out of shock, Serah assessed the situation. Blaze and Flint were knocked out a few feet ahead of her, Ardea was paralyzed and lay still to her left. Noel had been injected with four times the amount of paralysis poison needed to put him under. But – he wasn't dead. Frantically, she rested her ear on his chest, listening for his heartbeat. Her own heart was pounding so hard she couldn't concentrate. She employed a series of cure spells, interspersed with Esuna, but Noel did not awaken. On the forest floor he lay, unmoving. Still.

Serah pulled the needle out of his skin. His blood spurted out at her, darker red than it should have been. It stained her hands, her shorts, her thighs. She didn't care. Nothing else mattered. She couldn't lose him, not like this. Again, she reminded herself that he wasn't dead. _He's just sleeping._

This line of thinking helped her stay calm enough to keep working. She emptied the last drops from the syringe on the ground. With shaking hands she rinsed the chamber with a potion. Then she dug around in her pouch, her fingers searching for _that vial_.

_Was it Oerba 200 AF or the Archylte Steppe where they'd bought it? Chocolina had been so insistent. She'd imported it all the way from Serendipity in the Void Beyond, she'd said. Serah had just wanted to spend all their gil on monster components, eager to see their Dragoon creature reach its next energy level. However, Noel gave consideration to the shopkeeper's words and in the end they'd bought it. _

"_You never know what could happen out there. Think of this as our insurance policy," he'd said._

_When Serah complained about the purchase – it had been expensive – Noel had only winked at her in response. "I made a promise to protect you." _

Finally, she found the vial of Elixir in her pouch and filled the syringe with it. _I made a promise, too_, she whispered. In an act of desperation, she stabbed him in the chest, forcing the liquid into his body. Pulling out the needle, Serah placed her ear on his chest. His heart seemed to beat a little more regularly, faster.

* * *

Trial – (noun): the determination of a person's guilt or innocence by due process of law.

* * *

The General's trial was held the next day.

**[Day 11]**

In lieu of the usual court proceedings, this high profile case was handled directly by the Academy. In fact, the trial was held in the Coliseum and was open to the public. In the judge's seat sat Director Vulcan. There was no jury assembled. The General sat to his left, his hands chained to the desk. Vulcan banged his gavel loudly, and the trial began.

"General Leo Mathis, you stand accused of the first-degree murder of one Hope Estheim, former Director of the Academy. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

The attorney then built the case against him. He and his wife, Grace Mathis, had been having difficulties in their relationship, mainly due to his long working hours leading up to the launch of Bhunivelze. After the new world was established, she expected his hours to be reduced. When that did not happen, she entered a romantic affair with the victim, Hope Estheim.

"Objection!" shouted the General. When Director Vulcan allowed him to elaborate, the General merely said, "You have no proof."

Of course, they had proof. Emails between Grace and Hope, receipts for meals paid for by the Director, even some indisputable evidence of sexual relations in the General's home. When they finally came to the suicide note that Grace had left, the General could not contain his fury.

"Objection! Every piece of evidence could have been planted by someone else!"

"Over-ruled," Director Vulcan sneered. "The suicide note was written in Grace Mathis' own handwriting."

Finally, when the public was thoroughly convinced of the Hope/Grace affair, they brought out their key witness: Melodie Valencia.

"Where were you on the day in question?"

"I was working in the office of General Mathis."

"And where was the General?"

"He'd been out of the office on Bhunivelze directing air-traffic all morning, but returned to his office in the afternoon."

"Did you see how Hope Estheim died?"

"Yes, he was murdered."

"Do you know who killed him?"

"General Mathis."

"How was he murdered?"

"The General shot him twice in the back of the head."

"Please describe to the court what occurred that day, starting when Hope entered the General's office."

"Certainly: I was at my desk taking calls for the General, who was very busy that day. The Director, or I guess the former Director, came into the office unannounced without a meeting scheduled."

"Where was the General at this point?"

"He'd stepped out of the office for a moment."

"Continue."

"I told the Director that the General was very busy and he'd have to come back some other time. The Director looked panicked, and barged into the General's private office anyway. He sat down in the guest chair. The General returned. When I told him that the Director was waiting in his office, he pulled out his pistol, walked over and shot the Director twice in the head."

"Did he say anything before he shot him?"

"It's hard to remember… but I think he said something under his breath about his wife."

"How would you describe the mental or emotional state of the General when he reached for his pistol?"

"He was angry, agitated."

"Was he in his full mental capacities? Did he do anything out of character or which struck you as odd?"

"Other than the shooting, no. He was perfectly normal."

"You may step down, Ms. Valencia," the attorney said. "The prosecution rests."

Sazh sat with Sergeant Evans and Ash in the stands. There didn't seem to be a lawyer present to defend the General. The whole trial was a travesty of the justice system. The sad part was, no one spoke out against it. The assembled crowd of people was booing the General.

Bero Vulcan stood, and raised his hands to silence the court. "Today we have heard that the Leo Mathis' wife, Grace entered a romantic affair with the victim, Hope Estheim. According to the evidence, the affair spanned over three months and ended with the murder of the victim one week ago. Grace Mathis committed suicide the next day, citing the affair as the reason for taking her own life. An eye witness, Melodie Valencia, testified that she saw General Mathis shoot Hope Estheim to death. The autopsy of the victim corroborates her story."

At this point, Sazh noticed that the people around him were nodding their heads along with the Director's words.

"Is there anyone who doubts the General's guilt?" Vulcan shouted loudly, breaking from the traditional court format. "There is no jury today, but the people of Academia will always have a voice. I ask again, does anyone still doubt Leo Mathis's guilt in the murder of our beloved Director?"

The shouts from the assembled populace crashed against the stands. Waves of 'Boo' and 'No' mingled to the point where every cry disappeared in the senseless noise that reached the Director's ears.

Sergeant Evans shouted "I don't believe it!"

"Not guilty!" yelled Ash.

"This is absurd," whined Sazh. "You need more evidence, you morons!" he shouted more at the crowd than at the court bench.

It didn't matter what they said, or what anyone said for that matter. In this case, Director Vulcan was the judge, jury and, as they would soon see, the executioner.


	16. Stormy Vessel

_Story: Moving on... Without You_

_Chapter Summary: "Any more and he'll never wake up again." Ardea's words haunt Serah as she races against time to save Noel._

**Chapter 16: Stormy Vessel (Raindrops running through my veins)**

**[Day 20: afternoon...]  
**

* * *

Vessel – (noun): an airship.

* * *

Noel's muscles relaxed from their paralyzed state, slackening to a sleep-like tranquility. Later, Serah would not be able to explain how she'd found the presence of mind to summon their fastest chocobo – Silver Surfer, they'd called him – or how she'd found the strength to lift Noel onto its back. But she did. According to what Noel had said before, what seemed like ages ago, the airship was still at least an hour away on foot. Urgency spurred Serah on. The feeling that Noel needed medical attention as soon as possible burned in her veins. With Noel propped up in front of her, Serah rode like the wind.

As promised, she found the airship at the very edge of the forest. Riding out from under the canopy of trees, Serah took in her first view of the sky in days. In the open plains, gusts of cold wind sent strands of hair flying in her face. Above, dark clouds were blowing in from the east. A storm was coming, but she figured that was the least of their concerns.

Serah jumped off the chocobo agilely, one hand supporting Noel's back so that he wouldn't fall off the beast. When she was sure he was settled on the creature's back, Serah boarded the aircraft. Thankfully, the doors weren't locked and it seemed like they'd left the keys in the ignition – or rather, that's what it looked like to her. Having never piloted a ship before, she only assumed that there must be some similarities to the velocycle Snow had been teaching her to drive back in Bodhum, all those years ago.

As it turned out – airships are nothing like velocycles.

Silver Surfer followed Serah into the ship. It was the same aircraft from the Soloch ruins mission, so the spacious cargo area in the rear was able to accommodate the chocobo easily. There was no danger in Noel falling from the creature, but Serah wasted no time in lowering him onto the floor and checking his pulse again. The slow throbbing of his heartbeat against her fingers did little to reassure her of his well-being. As much as she wanted to cradle him in her lap and indulge her aching heart, she knew that time was not on their side. Crying wouldn't save him. The abrupt disappearance of the silver chocobo as it returned to its crystal form helped her to keep her mind on track.

At the controls, Serah noticed a transceiver that could be used to contact communication devices from the Academy. Hastily, she lifted the handset and her fingers had started to dial Sazh's number from memory. When she realized what she was doing, she stopped herself. Was it really a good idea to call Sazh from a commandeered Academy vessel? She was pretty sure the Academy could trace any call she made from the ship. What if it made the Academy suspicious of him? For all she knew, the entire organization was against them, and the last thing she wanted was to put one of her only friends in danger.

Up to now, Serah had been working on pure instinct, allowing her to make quick decisions with a cool head. But as she became aware of their precarious position, the next course of action was not immediately apparent. Unable to call Sazh, she realized just how few people she actually trusted. But other than him and Hope, who else did she know?

The solution came to her as she looked around the ship in frustration. She was reminded of the flight to the Soloch ruins, and her (literal) run-in with Sergeant Evans. The number of his comm device was already programmed into the auto-dial of the aircraft.

The line connected instantly.

"Hello? This is Sergeant Evans," his voice answered cautiously. "Strike team 3, do you copy?"

Suddenly at a loss for words, Serah dropped herself into the pilot's seat. Was she wrong to call him? Was he in fact in league with Ardea, Flint and Blaze? During the mission he'd seemed so candid around her and Noel, not in any way suspicious or antagonizing like Ardea had been. Looking behind her, at Noel's prone form, Serah wondered if they were now on their own. Her hand began to lower the transceiver back onto its cradle when it crackled again.

"Serah? Noel? If that's you, please, answer me!"

Serah read a pleading desperation in his voice. In the background she heard another man speaking, asking for the comm device. A voice she knew. Sazh. Could it really be Sazh on the other side?

"Who is with you?" Serah asked, trying her best to alter her voice to sound like Ardea.

Finally it seemed that Sazh had won the battle for the comm device and answered for him. "D'ya have a cold or something, Serah?" Though it was a question, he didn't wait for a response before continuing. "Either way it's good to hear you're aliv – ah, safe."

"Sazh!" Relief washed over her, as she leaned forward into the microphone. "Noel's hurt."

Her voice dropped its excited tone instantly. She'd meant to say how happy she was to hear from him, to ask him how Dajh was doing, or even ask him to put the child on the phone so she could hear one of the adorable stories he'd heard from his friend Poe. But when she opened her mouth, the only thing she could talk about was Noel.

"He won't wake up. She poisoned him. There was too much – she said 'any more and he'd never wake up again!' Oh, Sazh, what can I –? I mean, I gave him the Elixir but he won't open his eyes!"

"Whoa, slow down!" Sazh took a moment to wrap his head around the situation. "Ok, what happened to Noel?"

"She poisoned him, Sazh! He won't wake up!"

"Who, who poisoned him?"

"Ardea." _That bitch._

"Alright," he said calmly, as if talking her off a ledge. "Did you try giving him an Antidote or a Remedy?"

Serah shook her head, before realizing he couldn't see it. "No, it was _paralysis_ poison. She gave him too much… it was my fault."

"Paralysis, as in Pain? Well, just give him a Painkiller."

Frustration surged through Serah's veins as Sazh continued to miss the point.

"Sazh. I gave him an _Elixir_," she said, deliberately emphasizing every word so that he would listen to her properly. "I cast Cure and Esuna more times than I can count. I think the paralysis has finally passed, but he still won't wake up."

In the background on Sazh's end, Serah could hear Sergeant Evans inquiring what the problem was. Sazh quickly repeated what she'd just told him. "Do you mind?" he asked, his voice growing louder as he regained the comm device from Sazh. "Serah, what's your location?"

It took her a moment to remember. "I'm not too sure, but I know we're on the northern edge of the plains between the Rudka mountains and Nautilus."

"Hm. Well, I know a veterinarian who might be able to help Noel. Her name is Joy and she lives in Kighs, a town very close to the Soloch ruins, where our mission was, and southeast of Nautilus. Is the airship operational?"

Things were moving fast now, and in her mental state of exhaustion, she found it hard to follow the conversation. "The airship..?" she glanced down at the control panel. "I guess so? I don't know anything about ships, but the buttons are all lit up."

"Ok, good," Evans said encouragingly. "I'm going to hand the receiver to Sazh now, and he's going to walk you through the controls. With the ship, you can make it to Kighs in a few hours."

Hours? She wasn't sure they had that much time. With no medical training to speak of, Serah had no way of knowing if Noel was going to be alright, or if his condition would worsen with time. That doubt made it nearly impossible to concentrate on the task at hand. But when Sazh's voice came on the line again, and he started asking which buttons were lit up, which levers were down, etc., she managed to set aside her worries. With his step-by-step instructions, Serah input the coordinates of Kighs and successfully launched the ship.

"Now, slowly let go of the controls and the auto-pilot will do the rest!" Sazh said triumphantly. A few encouraging words later, he hung up.

With the auto-pilot engaged, Serah settled herself into the captain's chair for a long and uneventful flight. She figured she should stay in the cockpit, in case the storm clouds ahead made good on their threat to open up and assault the ship. She took to monitoring the gauges and numbers on the screens in front of her, though she didn't quite understand what they meant.

Every now and then, she would retreat to the cargo bay to check on Noel's condition. But, an hour into the voyage, Noel was still unresponsive to her voice. His pulse was steady now, so she told herself that her fears were irrational. No matter what crazy scenarios her mind conjured up, she knew she'd done everything she could for him. Soon enough, he'd get the medical help he needed, and everything was going to be _fine._

Before they'd hung up, Sazh and Sergeant Evans had promised to meet them in Kighs. They figured they'd arrive an hour or so after her and Noel. The promise of a reunion brightened Serah's spirits, something she sorely needed after what had happened in the forest. The icy terror that had nearly torn apart her resolve when Ardea had injected Noel the first time – when she'd thought she'd killed him –had never fully left her. But… it was best not to think about _that_.

As many times as she told herself not to, the solitary flight provided no distraction from her thoughts, which circled around the same worries and questions over and over in her head. She only prayed that this vet would be able to help Noel. What if he never woke up again? Was it like crystal stasis – or more like a coma?

The worst part was that she never really told Noel how she felt. It had only been this morning when she'd seriously considered her feelings. Or, more accurately, that she'd dealt with the guilt she'd been holding on to since she'd last seen Snow. The gradual maturation of her heart that had started when they'd joined the monster taming mission had reached a climax. She'd finally made the choice to move on without Snow. In the same way, Noel had been dealing with his own personal issues. And now that they'd both allowed themselves to embrace what really mattered – the people that were left, specifically, each other – he'd gone somewhere where she couldn't reach him.

Thinking back to this morning, she recalled how flustered she'd felt after her dream. In response to her accusations, Noel had apologized for merely sleeping beside her. Even after that kiss in Nautilus. Even after all those nights of sleeping in each other's arms, when she'd held him close for more than warmth. She'd made him apologize for something so innocent. Only now did she realize just how much restraint Noel had shown. She felt like a tease. Why had she been holding herself in check? They'd travelled alone together for two weeks on the plains of Pulse, but they hadn't even kissed again. She only hoped it wasn't too late to let him know how important he was to her.

From one of the extra survival packs in the cargo bay, Serah extracted a blanket to support Noel's head. Then, after a cursory glance at their flight path and the controls, Serah laid down beside him, resting her head on his chest. _No matter what, I'll be here,_ she thought, falling into a troubled sleep.

* * *

Storm – (noun): A violent weather condition of strong winds, rain, thunder, lightning, etc.

* * *

Turbulence rocked the ship, and it took Serah a moment to orientate herself. The storm had begun, and according to the coordinates, the aircraft had been blown way off course. Rain struck the windshield like bullets, ruining the visibility from the cockpit. Serah called Sazh in a panic.

"Sazh, we've flown right into a storm! The coordinates say that we're way off course!"

"It'll be alright, don't worry," he answered, again using his deep voice to calm her down. "Your original heading was southeast. I assume you've been flying directly into the wind, right?

"Yeah, the wind is really strong here," she agreed, as the metal plating groaned from the pressure. "I think it's blown us further south than we wanted."

"Ok, I think you better ride it out. Then, when the wind subsides, adjust your heading due east."

Something clattered to the floor behind her. An array of tools scatted across the floor of the cargo bay, from a toolbox that had been on the ledge above Noel. Snapping her head back to see what was the matter, she found Noel convulsing on the ground.

"Sazh, Noel's having a seizure!" she shouted, running back to his side. His body bucked against the cold metal floor, limbs hitting so hard she knew that he'd have bruises. She tried to remember what she should do to help, but was drawing a blank.

Sazh was shouting something at her, but she was too far away from the receiver to understand his words. Thankfully, the word "tongue" reached her and she recalled that during a seizure, the person would be in danger of swallowing their own tongue. Or was it biting off their tongue? Unsure how to protect him from himself, she rolled Noel over so that he was laying on his side, his right ear against the pillow and facing the cockpit. For a while she had to fight against his constant shaking to keep Noel on his side. Then, he was still once more. Sweat had soaked his body, and soon he was shaking again, though this time, Serah figured he was shivering from the cold. Serah found him another blanket and wrapped him snugly.

Then she returned to the cockpit. The fear for Noel's safety strengthened her determination so that when she spoke next to Sazh, her mind was already made up.

"Sazh, tell me how to fly this thing as fast as possible."

Despite the gale-force winds that tried to pull the ship out of her hands, Serah held on to the controls with every ounce of strength she had. Lightning flashed all around her, the thunderclaps were instantaneous and deafening. Darkened skies and pouring rain forced her to trust in the ship's global positioning system, because she couldn't see a foot in front of her. When it came time to land, this became an issue. Even out of the cloud cover, night had descended, and the shadows played with her depth perception. A reflection of the moon glinting off a rooftop was the only hint she had to find Joy Numenbacker's house. Steering towards the solar-paneled-cottage, she engaged the landing gear as Sazh explained.

One crash landing later, it became obvious that Serah was not cut out to be a pilot.

The door to the cottage was open and Joy stood under the eaves, clutching her shawl around her shoulders against chill of the storm. The sudden tremors that rocked her house alerted her of their arrival. The ship's hull had dug into the ground of her backyard, about ten feet away. As she peered out into the night, she found a young woman emerge from the twisted metal of the airship, dampened moonlight shining in her hair. She was carrying something on her back, something heavy. Through the rain, it was hard to discern what it was. Thankfully, Sergeant Evans had called earlier, filling her in on the situation.

Joy rushed back into the house, reemerging a moment later with the gurney from the operating room. Outside the front door, she nearly ran into the young woman. Up close, she was surprised how small she was – she couldn't have weighed much more than 100 lbs soaking wet… as she was presently. The man draped over her shoulders probably weighed twice as much as she did, but she'd managed to carry him across the yard in a few minutes.

In the foyer of the cottage, Serah hesitated while Joy rushed Noel into the OR. Water pooled on the floor around her, dripping from her hair and clothing. She bent down to untie the laces of her knee-high boots, which were now caked with mud from the trek across the yard, when Joy called over to her.

"Come in, don't worry about the mess," she said, "I think I'll need your help over here."

With only a second more of hesitation, Serah ran into the OR, boots half untied. Standing at Noel's side, she took his hand in her own.

"Alright, what can I do?"

* * *

Vessel – (noun): a tubular structure, such as an artery or vein, which transports blood in the body.

* * *

After explaining the circumstances of his paralysis and subsequent seizure, Joy looked thoughtful.

"Well, you did the right thing. The components of the Elixir would be able to neutralize the poison by binding the molecule. The newly formed compound, however, needs to be filtered out of the blood. Usually this would be done by the kidneys. However, the _amount_ of poison poses a problem."

Serah's eyes went wide at the statement, the woman's words confirming what she'd feared all along. Ardea had warned her about the consequences, but she'd refused to believe it. Even now, she clung to the hope that Joy could do something to wake Noel up.

"When it reacted with the Elixir, the concentration of the neutralized compound was too high, causing it to precipitate out of the blood, and deposit in the vessels. The seizure was caused by this accumulation of precipitate. That isn't the only danger. The compound is also being treated as an infection, causing inflammation and possibly blood clots within the circulatory system. This could lead to heart attack or stroke.

"Right now, his kidneys are working overtime trying to filter out the poison. Without intervention, they run the risk of failing due to the high levels of the compound in his blood. If we perform hemodialysis, filtering his blood through a machine, I think we'll be able to save his kidneys as well as prevent additional deposition of the compound."

Despite the serious news, Serah was relieved to hear that Joy already had a plan of attack. She took a steadying breath before responding. "Alright, so we use hemodialysis. How can I help?"

Joy eyed Noel's neck wearily. "There's just one problem," she indicated the wound that she had covered with gauze. "He's lost too much blood already. Filtering his blood outside his body means that his blood volume will decrease even more. As it is, he could go into shock any moment."

It was clear to Serah that Joy thought dialysis was Noel's only hope. But now she was saying she couldn't do it. "What about a blood transfusion? Can't you just give him some blood?"

Joy shook her head. "I'm a veterinarian. I don't normally have human blood on-hand."

"Use mine," Serah said resolutely, offering her arm. Over Joy's protests, Serah clarified, "I'm O-neg. That means I can donate to anyone, right?"

The tenacity of the young woman's gaze was enough to convince her. "Right. Ok, we'll do it. But I need you to understand that this is a very risky procedure, and I can't promise it will work."

No words would sway her at this point. _Anything_ was infinitely better than doing nothing at all, hoping that his body could handle the burden on its own.

"I understand."

Joy was already moving, collecting the implements she needed. "First, I'll start your line. Then I'll set your friend up for dialysis. This will be a shock for his body, so he may go into convulsions. I want you to stay calm. If your heart beat is steady, this will go a lot smoother."

Joy had Serah sit up on the stainless steel counter, with a tube connecting her arm to a plastic bag. Then she started a line at Noel's wrist, attaching it to the bag of Serah's blood. The small amount of red liquid in the bag remained steady after that. As fast as the blood flowed out of Serah's body, it flowed into Noel's. Joy used the neck wound as the drawing point for dialysis, so that she wouldn't need to induce further blood loss. Then, she wheeled over a machine set the salt concentrations manually. The whole procedure hadn't taken much time to set up, but Joy informed her that the shortest run is generally two hours.

Insisting that Serah not donate too much blood, Joy stopped her after one unit. Serah insisted that she could give more, but Joy wouldn't hear it. Without the optimal equipment, it had still only taken 20 minutes. The dialysis was well underway, and Noel hadn't woken up.

To keep her mind off her friend, Joy suggested that Serah wash her clothes and take a shower. About to protest, Serah looked down at herself and the words died in her mouth. Mud had splashed up her legs when she'd ran over in the rain. Blood had dried into a thick dark brown skin on her thighs and hands, and had soaked into her shorts. She followed Joy in defeat, sending fretful looks over her shoulder as she left the operating room.

"The bathroom is just here." She waved her hand in front of a wall, revealing a hidden door in the northwest corner of the house. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wash your clothes by hand. I don't want to risk using the washing machine while the dialysis is running. Towels are in the cupboard under the sink."

The room was painted a pastel green, so light that it was nearly white. To the right of the door was the sink, a small vanity and a large mirror above it. Stepping into the room, Serah thanked Joy and shut the door.

Serah watched her reflection as she stripped out of her bloodstained clothes. First, she stepped out of her boots, her feet enjoying the softness of the bathmat. Then, the jean shorts needed to be peeled off, and the sticky sensation made her cringe. It hadn't seemed like that much blood when she'd removed the needle from Noel's neck, but at the time she'd been…

Her heart jumped into her throat. Reminding herself that Joy was doing everything she could wasn't enough. She threw the shorts into the sink. Noel was _not_ going to die. She covered her face with her hands, dragging them down against her skin in an effort to erase the apprehension that clutched at her heart.

She bent down, removing the satchel from her leg, and placing it on the floor against the door. She'd already had to take off both her gloves and arm wrapping so that she could donate blood. All that remained now was her shirt. As she lifted it over her head, the muscles in her back and shoulders protested at the movement. Carrying Noel had required all of her strength, but again, at the time it had felt like nothing. Now, the pain was a reminder of what she did to help him. She prayed it was enough. She threw her shirt into the sink, along with her undergarments and turned on the tap.

Then she jumped into the shower. Turning the dial as hot as her skin could handle, she let the water cascade over her face. There was something about showers and the sensation of being clean that had always helped Serah clear her mind. It was as if she could wash away her troubles as easily as the blood and dirt that clung to her body.

When she was finished, she wrapped a fluffy robe around her, and hung her clothes on the towel rack to dry. Joy let her sit by Noel's side until the dialysis was complete.

They moved Noel onto the hide-a-bed in the living room, and Joy surprised her by pressing a button which lowered the bed into the basement.

"I figure the storm might bother him," she said with a knowing smile.

Serah thanked her and joined Noel downstairs via a small ladder. She sat on the edge of the bed and held Noel's hand well into the night.

_Etro... _she pleaded, her voice lost to the drumming rain and roaring wind,_ Maker... Lightning... Anyone! Please, please, just let him wake up!_


	17. Summit

_**Author's Note:** In case you've forgotten, "ARC" was my acronym for Automated Room Control. _

_Story: Moving on... Without you  
_

_Chapter rating: "hard" T, borderline M (adult situations, no lemon!)_

___Chapter Synopsis: Serah receives a surprise upon awakening. Director Vulcan dispenses his own brand of punishment._

**Chapter 17: Summit**

**[Day 20: nighttime...]**

* * *

The basement wasn't really a basement in the traditional sense. It was the "under the floorboards space" where Joy kept her furniture that was programmed into the ARC. As such, there was no carpeting, no lighting, and most of the space was filled by metal bars and gears that were involved in lifting and lowering the furniture. Even so, it was quieter here underground, where the wailing wind was muffled by the earth and the floor above. In the privacy of this secret place, Serah could relax, no longer burdened with the effort of trying to put on a brave face for others. The whole night she'd felt like she'd been treading water, stubbornly continuing to move but not getting anywhere, waiting for something to change. It was exhausting. Now, with Joy's optimistic evaluation of the procedure, Serah felt like she was in the clear. Like a ship on the horizon, Noel's awakening was the saving grace that was just out of reach. Anchored by his hand in hers, Serah drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Summit – (noun): the highest degree or state; peak or climax.

* * *

A streak of lightning flashed through the floorboards and into the cellar-like room. The accompanying thunderclap sliced through Noel's psyche, leaving a throbbing headache in its wake. His eyes opened hesitantly, eyelids feeling thicker than normal. Spikes of pain accented even this small movement. The absolute darkness that met his eyes made him wonder if he'd gone blind, or if he hadn't opened his eyes at all, or if this was yet another dream. The pounding in his head belied the latter. As to the former, if he could keep his eyes open for more than a second at a time, perhaps they'd adjust to the dim.

Sure enough, Noel could eventually discern his surroundings from the shadows. They were clearly indoors, but where, he hadn't the faintest idea. The first thing to capture his attention, and the only thing that he could focus on afterwards, was the small hand that clung to his own. Serah. He found her asleep by his bedside, kneeling on the floor with her head resting on the bed next to their hands. The robe she'd wrapped around herself had slid off her shoulder, giving a glimpse of perfect skin and making it obvious that she wasn't wearing anything else.

Noel tried to sit up, and in so doing nearly cried out in pain. He looked himself over and was surprised to find much of his gear had been removed. With his upper body completely bare, he wondered what exactly had happened while he was out. Purple bruises decorated his forearms and every muscle was incredibly sore. The headache continued to pulse, but he fought against the nagging urge to fall back to sleep. The last thing he remembered was_… right, the Farseers had invited them into their camp. But then, hadn't they run in to some kind of trouble? Ardea?_

In a panic, his hand jumped to his neck where he still could feel the ghost of the needle she'd stuck him with. The guardian instinct in him was fighting the memory. Did he really leave Serah to deal with Ardea all alone? How could he have been so careless?

But yet… they were no longer in the forest. Curious blue eyes evaluated the sleeping woman, admiring how, despite everything that could have happened, he awoke in a warm bed with her at his side. Seeing the aftermath like this, without any indication of what happened in between, it all seemed so effortless. Genuine gratitude soothed Noel's heart, born from the trust that Serah would have done anything to save him. In all their travels together, he'd often reminded her of his promise to protect her, but never had he fully understood that she had been answering that promise the whole time with one of her own.

Tender smiles played on Noel's lips, interspersed with thoughtful frowns. When had this woman breathing softly at his side become so important to him? It was startling for him to realize that there were no doubts or obstacles to his feelings anymore. No insecurities held him back and he was beginning to think she felt the same way.

Even though she'd struggled with her identity, to him she'd always been _Serah_. He remembered how she'd bleached her beautiful pink hair, how she'd took on her sister's nickname, how she'd laughed joyfully and cried with all her heart on the same day, how she'd fit in so well with the Farseer tribe and how she'd faced their enemy with courage and determination, stronger even than his own resolve. When he thought of every piece that made up Serah Farron, he couldn't help but love her. They'd all faced this new world without knowing how or where they belonged, but now he was certain that no matter what, they belonged together.

He moved his fingers of the hand she held to caress her skin lightly. She stirred, lifting her head from where it had rested on her left arm. The movement revealed the pale skin of her forearm, and though it was an irrational observation, Noel found that her wrappings that he'd given her had been removed. In an instant, doubt arose in his mind, fighting against the joy and anticipation of being alive and being with her.

Fingers tightened their hold on his left hand. Blue eyes opened, sparkling, looking right at him, through him all the way to his heart.

"Welcome back," she said softly.

"Serah…" he whispered, raising himself from the bed and leaning over her, gracefully ignoring the pain this caused him. He kissed her lightly on the crown of her head, his one hand at the nape of her neck for support.

The tenderness of the moment sent Serah's insides squirming. "Noel, please, lay back down, you'll hurt yourself!" she worried, her voice too loud, ruining the moment. Or so she thought.

She raised her eyes to meet his, about to scold him about his injuries, but something in those midnight blues stopped her from breathing.

He leaned down again, touching his forehead to hers. "Thank you. I can't help but think that you saved me back there."

Heart pounding, Serah closed her eyes. "I promised."

A calloused hand tilted her chin upwards. As her eyelashes swept up, she found Noel – the man she loved, her guardian and her friend – inches away and focused on her alone.

"I love you, Serah."

A tightness, first felt in her chest, spread upwards to her throat. Blood pounded in her ears and everything about the silence that followed those four words was too loud. Countless thoughts ran through her mind, but there was one overwhelming desire that won against all else.

Soft pink lips met his as the storm continued to rage in the background.

Serah rose upwards from her kneeling position, breaking the kiss only to crawl onto the bed. She pushed Noel down so that he was lying flat again. Looking down at him, it was like she was hit with lightning. The way his brown hair stuck out in all directions, his muscular chest, his full lips, those eyes… it was like she was seeing him for the first time. Filling her heart to the brim with the sight of him, she bent lower, hands caressing down his arms.

A sharp intake of breath, Noel winced.

Serah looked to her hands and discovered the bruises that colored Noel's skin.

"Oh Noel, I'm so sorry!" she flinched, moving to get off the bed.

Noel's hand caught her upper arm with a solid strength. "It's okay. I can handle a few bruises."

Not wanting to cause him further pain, Serah resisted against him, trying to move away from his injuries. Noel held on stubbornly. Now when she looked at his skin, she felt vaguely responsible. As she resigned from getting off the bed, she touched hesitant fingers to the dark purple splotches.

"It's all my fault," she said weakly.

Noel hushed her, drawing her head to his chest. "No, it's not," he muttered into her hair.

"I attacked Ardea, and then she…"

Thought she couldn't see it, she felt Noel shake his head.

"I told you to do it, remember?"

Of course she remembered. But that memory was tied to _that_ moment… the moment when she thought she'd lost him completely.

"But I…" Trying to blink back the tears, she buried her face against his chest.

"Shh… I'm alright now, thanks to you."

"That's just it," Serah raised her head to face him, fearful eyes shining with tears. "I love you so much that I couldn't stand to lose you!"

He reached up, tracing a silver trail down her cheek. Light touches of his hands on her face led her back down to his lips. He kissed the tears, her eyes, her eyebrows and slowly made his way down her jaw line. Before he reached her awaiting lips, he adjusted himself and instead continued to lay soft kisses along her neck and into her collarbone.

Serah relaxed, moving her own lips against his neck while wrapping her arms around him. Noel did the same. His steady heartbeat was the only sound for a long time as they just held each other. Then, his arms tightened around her, like a frightened child.

In a hoarse voice, Noel whispered, "Don't worry, Serah. I promised. I'm never going to leave you."

His hands stroked up her back in a soothing gesture, but stopped abruptly when they encountered the edge of her robe. In her current position, the fabric had slipped down Serah's shoulders, exposing her upper back. He explored the expanse of skin, fingers moving slowly at first. Then, as the hunger inside him grew, he caressed lower beneath the robe as his mouth sought hers in passion.

Their tongues forced past each other and Serah's hands glided down Noel's smooth torso.

The sound of bells ringing in the distance barely distracted them as Noel rose up into a seated position. Feverish kisses burned his lips, so he moved to lick along her collarbone. His mouth roamed lower and lower, as the garment continued to slip and slide down her porcelain skin.

Voices could be heard above, and the name "Noel" was used more than once. But it could have been Serah moaning his name.

Heavy footsteps crossed the floor overhead.

Serah's hands splayed across his abdomen and ventured downward, finding the edge of his hipbone. Her fingers began to trace the line it provided… Just as the robe loosened completely and Noel's mouth sought her exposed breast…

Without warning - unless you count those not-so-subtle hints from upstairs - they were blinded with bright light and they felt themselves moving upwards. It took all of Serah's self-control to switch gears and disentangle herself from Noel. Not knowing what was going on, he wasn't helpful in the matter, trying to pull her back into his embrace. But, with a forceful shove, she moved to the edge of the bed and straightened her robe in time to greet Sazh and Sergeant Evans. The bed halted as it settled on the main floor.

"There he is," Sazh noted, with a wink. "Healthier than ever, it seems!"

Noel face reddened with embarrassment. Joy was in the kitchen preparing some tea while the two men crowded the hide-a-bed and the flustered young couple upon it.

Sergeant Evans stepped forward, nodding in greeting. "Agent Farron, Agent Kreiss, it's good to see you both again."

"Sergeant Evans?" Noel questioned, looking over at Serah for confirmation. They had been running on the theory that the Academy was trying to procure the Seeress for their own gain and that the mission they'd been assigned to at the beginning was a fake.

To clear up the misunderstanding, Serah shook her head at Noel. "It's alright. Sergeant Evans is the one who rescued us after we escaped from Ardea," she said, smiling up at the man in question. "Thanks again!"

"Rescued you? Hardly," he replied modestly. "Don't let her share the credit on this one, Noel. Serah went to amazing lengths to save you. Did she tell you she flew an airship for the first time through a storm to get here?"

A powerful emotion swept through Noel's heart. Gratitude was there, but the feeling was stronger, prouder, similar to the way a teacher swells when their pupil does well. But that wasn't entirely accurate. More like the awe that one feels when they witness a work of art or a feat of incredible strength. Sergeant Evan's words confirmed that Serah had protected him in every way she could.

The look Noel gave Serah was far too intimate for the current situation, and Sazh cleared his throat to interrupt.

"Noel, Serah," he said, looking at each in turn, "You've got a lot of catching up to do."

"What do you mean?" Serah asked.

Sazh revealed two Academy uniforms that they'd brought with them. "You'll have to be up to speed if you're going to help us infiltrate the Academy."

"And we've found the perfect alibi," Sergeant Evans added, handing Serah his tablet computer.

The Academy homepage was displayed, with the headlines: **"Director Vulcan calls the first Summit of the Academy."**

* * *

Summit – (noun): a meeting of chiefs of governments or other high officials.

* * *

**[Day 14]**

Bero Vulcan was pacing, red dust rising in clouds around his black leather boots. The sun made long shadows behind the kneeling captive while they waited. And waited.

"Well?" Director Vulcan demanded presently.

"No word," Melodie Valencia sighed with resignation. "You may proceed."

"Finally."

The Director faced the former General, Leo Mathis. In the three days since his trial, Mathis had refused to eat. His face hung gaunt and his eyes were sunken into his sockets. The sight of him disgusted the Director.

"You have been found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Do you have any last words?"

"Can the bullshit, Bero. No one is watching you now. Everyone here knows the truth. So get on with it."

"Oh really?" the Director taunted, amused. "The truth? And which truth is that, pray tell?"

Mathis spit at Vulcan's feet. "You're the sonofabitch that killed Director Estheim, the crime you then framed me for."

The words had as much effect on the Director as a fly, buzzing too close. He swatted the pest with a chuckle.

"Who cares about some Estheim boy anyways? One measly human? He was hardly worth the time he took to die."

Shock etched itself on Mathis' face. "What do you mean? Obviously you find him important enough to kill me over!"

The Director stroked the dark stubble that was forming on his chin. "And here you had me thinking you'd figured something out on your own." He hunkered down to meet Mathis' wide eyes. "But, I guess that's the problem with you humans: all you think about is yourselves." With a look of disdain, he then stood up and walked ten unhurried paces away from the captive, all the while muttering to himself. "Your little lives in your little world. Just like Etro… So like Etro."

Facing his fate, Mathis tried to make sense of what Vulcan was telling him.

He stubbornly denied his allegations. "Humans are stronger that you give us credit for, Vulcan! When we work together, we can achieve great things!"

"Time's up, General," Vulcan said, pointing his gloved hand like a gun at Mathis. With one eye closed, he took aim, sighting directly for the center of the General's forehead.

No sound echoed against the desert canyon walls. Leo Mathis met his death in silence. The bullet hole between his eyes as unmistakable as it was unexplainable.

Ms. Valencia moved to gather the corpse, but was stayed by Vulcan's leather glove.

"Leave him here. Let Pulse take care of his body," he said, indicating the wyverns flying overhead.

"But Director," Melodie began, about to cite Academy regulations. They were already blurring the letter of the law by the form of execution. This had hardly been death by firing squad.

"Enough. You continue to disappoint me, Melodie."

His harsh tone stopped her, filled her with dread. This was not the kind of Director to disappoint. Anything short of praise meant that people would die.

"I'm sorry, Director."

"Remind me, has Ardea returned with our Seeress yet?" he asked menacingly.

It wasn't "people" she was worried about. If she didn't redeem herself soon, it would be _her_ body feeding the wyverns.

"No, Director. She-"

"You swore that if she thought your life was in danger she'd return quickly. I was inclined to believe you, as it spoke of the selfish nature of your race."

"And she would have. I swear. She must have encountered some obstacle in obtaining the Seeress."

"The only obstacle I see is your incompetence." He mused to himself, "I should have just made her a l'Cie. Obviously she didn't care enough about you, but surely she'd care if her own life was on the line."

"No, Director, it's not…" The situation was too far out of her control.

"Well, I see that your usefulness is about used up. I hope you enjoy your reward."

Melodie shook her head over and over fear filling her pale eyes.

"You monster…" she breathed.

"No, it's you that will be the monster, I think," he said.

He reached out and touched her shoulder. Dark tendrils of chaos wove around her body, culminating in a black aura. The black magic took Melodie's body, twisting it at grotesque angles, expanding and mutating like a tumorous growth. When the darkness cleared, what stood in the place of the cunning woman was the shambling form of a Cie'th.

Bero chuckled as he reached for his comm device.

"This is the Director. Yes, it was taken care of. I'd like to call a meeting - no, a summit, right? I'd like to call a Summit of the Academy in one week's time. Exactly. Please send word to every Academy satellite facility on Pulse and Cocoon- err, Bhunivelze. Attendance of all Academy personnel is mandatory. Yes, mandatory. Yes. Alright, I'll be back shortly. Over and out."


	18. Into the Lion's Den

_**Author's Note:**__ Thank you so so much to my anonymous reviewers (Hayleyxo, Serenityrose0933, Embla - shout out to all readers from Sweden!). Thanks to shandulah84 as well for beta'ing this chapter! _

_Story: Moving on... Without you_

___Chapter rating: "hard" T, borderline M (adult situations, no lemon!)_

_Chapter Summary: They have a mission: infiltrate the Academy. Objectives: determine what Bero is planning, and whether it involves the crystals of Fang and Vanille._

**Chapter 18: Into the Lion's Den**

**[Day 21: dawn...]**

* * *

It was nearly morning in Kighs by the time the rain had forfeited its campaign against the window panes. Sazh, Sergeant Evans, Joy, Serah and Noel were all seated around the kitchen table, having spent the night discussing what they knew about the Academy, Hope's murder and the General's arrest, the false mission and Ardea's quest for precognition.

Rather than providing clarity, each new piece of information muddled their perception of the Academy and its motives. Was it a benevolent organization that strives for peace, justice and knowledge for all – or a tool for those who seek power? Under Hope's direction, that power had been used to unite the people and provided them with a new home, Bhunivelze. Now that he was gone, it seemed like the focus had shifted away from the greater good. There was an "us versus them" mentality developing in the city of Academia. Just as Sazh had been denied entry to the crystal chamber, the Academy was also cutting off the rest of society from its research and services. It was as if the institution was closing itself to outsiders.

Their other concern was how far the conspiracy against Hope went up the chain of command. Melodie Valencia had been present when Hope was murdered. Also, it seemed as though Ms. Valencia had fabricated the mission that Ardea used to track down the Seeress. If these events had a common goal, as Evans deduced from the coded message from the General, it wasn't obvious to them. Unless they figured that Hope was protecting a Seeress and that if he were killed she'd be easily captured… Then the question became: had they known that Serah was a Seeress before they killed Hope? And who did they expect to wield the power of foresight once it was harnessed? Hope would never have condoned this area of research. As their lines of inquiry crossed one another, it often led back to Director Vulcan, and whether or not he was involved.

Now that Ms. Valencia worked directly under the Director, it had become impossible to get a hold of her. In fact, no one had seen the secretary since the trial of General Mathis. But yet, no matter how they looked at the information, she seemed to be the only link between the murder and the mission, other than possibly Director himself. None of them really knew anything about the man who now led the most powerful organization on the planet. In a way, that thought was the most disturbing.

Sergeant Evans offered to confront Ms. Valencia, on the pretense of making an appointment with the Director for a debriefing on the Soloch ruins mission. Once he had her alone, he reasoned, he'd be able to get some information about why she and Ardea wanted the Seeress and what they were planning. There would be no reason for her not to trust him, considering he was an official Academy member. In fact, if he could get it, the meeting with Director Vulcan would be a good idea as well. The more information they could get, the better they would understand why all of this was happening.

The second part of the plan was Sazh's idea. The increased security around the crystals of Fang and Vanille had been troubling him. He could think of only two reasons for the guards: 1) they were trying to protect the crystals from an outside threat, or 2) they were doing something to the crystals and they didn't want others to interfere. As far as he knew, an attack from outside the Academy seemed unlikely because no one else had taken an interest in the crystals since he'd rescued them from Cocoon's pillar. But, if the threat was from within the institution, what did they plan on doing to Fang and Vanille? With this question in mind, Sazh begged Serah and Noel to investigate. They were to infiltrate the building under the guise of two Academy employees and check on the crystals. If Fang or Vanille was in any sort of danger, they would try to find a way to get them out of the building.

As the wind and conversation died down, Joy suggested that they all get a few hours of sleep before they head back to Academia. She was still concerned about Noel's condition, despite his assurances that he felt 100% better. So, to appease the vet, Serah promised she'd make sure he got some rest.

Being short on space in the little cottage, Joy dropped the hide-a-bed back into the basement. Serah rode down on the bed with Noel, the hydraulics making it a smooth transition from the warm and well-lit main floor to the cool and darker space underneath. Noise and commotion continued overhead while Joy found a futon and some blankets for Sazh and Sergeant Evans. After a few more minutes, the house settled into an uneasy silence. It was only an hour before dawn and it felt like the cottage was holding its breath.

It would have been hard enough to fall asleep with the anticipation of the mission ahead and the apprehension of finding Vanille and Fang in danger swirling in her mind. On top of that, she was back in the basement with Noel, alone. It was obvious that he wanted to continue where they had left off, but Serah held her desires in check knowing that Sazh and Sergeant Evans were just above them.

"Noel, I told Joy that I'd make sure you got some sleep," Serah whispered in a mock-angry tone as Noel pulled her closer to him, nuzzling her neck.

"I'll sleep on the way to Academia," he countered, not wanting to be denied.

As she felt his hand untying the sash on her robe, a squirming warmth spiraled in her stomach. She wanted his hands on her body, badly. Her hands twitched with the need to explore underneath the sheets, to touch him, to make him writhe in pleasure. Fighting a losing battle with her urges, Serah could barely force herself to stay still.

Finally, she found her voice. "Noel," she whispered as he pushed the fabric off of her shoulders. Hearing his name, he moved to kiss her, but Serah evaded his lips. "No, Noel. Stop," she said firmly, grasping his hands so they stopped mid-way through undressing her.

Noel focused on her, concerned. "What's wrong?" His breathing was heavy and the sight of his bare chest rising and falling was mesmerizing.

"It's just that…" Serah took a deep breath, mentally shaking herself.

"I don't want our first time to be like this… With you injured… and," she trailed off, mumbling "…with Sazh in earshot." Blushing, Serah ducked her head, hiding behind her bangs.

Noel chuckled lightly. "Serah," he coerced her to look up again. "It's ok, I understand. I wasn't thinking clearly," he said, leaning back. "In fact, with you this close, it's hard to think at all. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable. But…" Now it was Noel's turn to hide his blushing face. "Do you think we could…? I mean, nothing serious, just… y'know, sleep together? …Without clothes?"

Her heart jumped in her throat. The idea made her skin burn with embarrassment. The little girl in her wanted to be outraged and scandalized by his boldness, but she wasn't a little girl anymore. Remembering back to when Noel had been unconscious, when she had promised herself to be honest about her feelings, Serah licked her lips nervously. Truthfully, she wanted this, but the whole truth was that she didn't trust herself. She didn't think she could resist going further if they were both naked.

The request charged the air between them with electricity. Noel held his breath as he waited for an answer. He felt vulnerable, but in a way that was totally exhilarating.

"Noel, I-" Serah started, looking away. _We shouldn't... at least, not tonight. _Somehow the words she'd meant to say melted on her tongue like snowflakes.

"I won't try anything weird, I swear."

Serah smiled. It wasn't _his_ actions that she was so worried about.

"Trust me," Noel said, his thumbs hooked in the waistband of his pants.

There was no helping it. She needed this. She wanted him. Serah cursed herself for being weak, cursed him for being irresistible and then decided to roll with it and cursed Sazh for making this more awkward than it should have been.

"Okay."

Serah shrugged out of her robe and hastily concealed herself under the covers. She peeked over at Noel, who had stepped off the bed to remove his pants. Almost like a challenge, Noel slid the fabric down his hips slowly, an inch at a time. The striptease was too much for Serah to handle and she quickly looked away.

Noel smirked, enjoying Serah's innocent embarrassment. Without an audience, he dropped the garment to the floor and jumped under the covers. Serah had her back turned to him, so he cradled her body against his chest, hugging one arm around her shoulders.

The enticing warmth of his body radiated heat against her back. Her fluttering heart wouldn't quiet down. It was exciting and frightening and a little awkward all at once. Just as Serah figured she wouldn't be getting any sleep like this, she felt Noel's body twitch slightly then slacken completely. Worried about seizures and paralysis poison and everything else that could have been wrong, Serah turned to face him, quickly checking his breathing and his pulse. Then she smiled in understanding. The long nigh had caught up with him. He had fallen asleep.

* * *

Beard the lion in its den - (idiom): to confront or attack someone, especially a powerful or feared person, in that person's own familiar surroundings.

* * *

Later that morning, Serah and Noel were dressed in Academy uniforms and flying back to Academia with Sazh and Sergeant Evans. Thanks to the airship's powerful engines and Sazh's incredible skill, the flight only took three hours. The other airship they'd flown to Kighs was in great need of repair, after the landing Serah had put it through. Noel had laughed when he saw it, laying a gentle hand on Serah's shoulder. They'd found Ardea, Flint and Blaze's identification badges in the wreckage, which they would use for their disguises.

The Summit of the Academy was well underway by the time they arrived. A swarm of Academy uniforms surrounded the building. According to the Academy homepage, the Director would be meeting with a variety of task forces throughout the day. But now that it was almost lunchtime, everyone gathered outside for a special commemorative speech to honor the previous Director.

Bero Vulcan stood on a balcony several stories above the crowd.

"I dedicate this meeting to the late Director Hope Estheim. A visionary from long ago, brought to us by fate and gone before his time. Let us honor his memory by continuing his research, extending our knowledge into the future to grasp the fabric of time itself."

The words struck Serah as odd. _What were they researching that would grant them that kind of power?_

Vulcan stepped back from the podium and waved as he walked into the building. The assembled Academy employees cheered for him as he left. An aide took the microphone when the noise died down.

"We will break now for lunch. The next scheduled meeting will start at 13:00 with Extra-dimensional Communications, followed by the Time-phase Distortion Research Team, then Suspended Animation and Cryonics…"

The list continued on while the people began wandering off into the city or back into the building in search of food. Serah turned to find that Sergeant Evans was already gone.

"Don't worry, Serah," said a clear voice from inside her ear. "Evans is headed upstairs to the Director's office. He figured that the only time he could meet with Vulcan would be during lunch," Sazh explained while monitoring Evans' progress through the building by GPS.

"Right," Serah muttered into the microphone concealed on her lapel. Sazh was watching them from a building across the plaza, as well as providing radio support.

Noel stood next to Serah, looking all too much like Hope in his Academy uniform. The statue that towered over them in the center of the plaza attested to the similarity. Hope's death still felt surreal to her, to the point where she half expected to find him sitting behind a computer terminal somewhere in the Academy building. Melancholic thoughts aside, it startled her to see Noel dressed in something other than his blue battle attire. She'd been quick to note that the yellow and white jacket emphasized his broad shoulders.

She caught herself staring at her companion and tried to play it off like she was thinking about the mission. "Shall we go, then?"

"After you," Noel gestured in a mock-gentlemanly fashion that said he saw right through her.

Serah pushed him jokingly as she walked past him.

Despite the increased traffic inside the main lobby, they had no trouble getting into an elevator. From there, the crystal chamber was 12 floors down, the first door straight ahead. Getting there was easy enough. Serah and Noel barely had time to prepare their cover stories when they found themselves before the guards in the dimly lit basement.

"Halt, who goes there?" demanded one of the two soldiers barring the door. His gaze was intensely scrutinizing, his thick dark brows furrowed with distrust.

"Uh," Serah faltered, her confidence withering in his acidic stare.

"Commander Yohan Flint," Noel asserted, offering his hand to the first guard in hopes to free Serah from the clutches of his gaze.

The moment his eyes shifted toward Noel, Serah was able to breathe again. That guy took his job way too seriously. Looking over at the second guard, it was easy to tell that he felt the same way about his partner. While the first guard stood tall with his gun in his hands, the second leaned against the doorframe grinning sardonically at his partner's back. When Serah caught his eye, he winked.

"And this is my associate, Dr. Ardea Takeda," Noel was saying to the first guard. Serah turned her attention back to them and nodded.

She struggled to recite the technobabble that Sazh had taught her. "We'd like to analyze the biotelemetry readings of the crystallized women for a study on metabolic depression in forward time-travel. We will need access to both the monitors and the crystals themselves."

"What is your authorization level?"

Serah and Noel blanched at the question, unsure what answer would gain them access. Thankfully, Sazh whispered the correct answer over the radio. "_Seven."_

Noel cleared his throat to cover their pause. "It's level seven."

"Hmm," the stern guard grunted with assent. "We were not informed of any visitors today. I'll need to confirm this with our superior."

Serah's heart was pounding. The security was tighter than she'd expected. She'd figured they'd just flash their badges and walk right in. _What if they were found out? Would they be arrested?_

Thankfully, the other guard came to their rescue. "Don't bother the Major with something so trivial," he scoffed at his partner, shaking his head.

Then he addressed Serah and Noel. "You guys are here for the Summit, am I right? Just wanted to gawk at the crystal babes?" he nudged Noel with his elbow.

"Well…" Noel stalled, unsure if agreeing would help or get them into more trouble.

"Don't sweat it, bro. I was curious too. That's why I asked to be on guard duty down here. But the thing is…"

"Paulsen," shouted the first guard. "I won't have you leaking classified information!"

"Shove it, Avery," Officer Paulsen sneered back. "These guys are level seven. If they don't know already, they're going to figure it out in about ten seconds anyway."

"We are _required_ to report all unannounced visitors to the Major," Avery fired back.

"Don't cite orders to me, Avery. You've had a stick up your ass since we were assigned to guard this godforsaken empty room."

"Wait… Empty?" Noel questioned.

The two guards stopped fighting when they realized the damage had been done.

Paulsen scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, they moved the ladies a few days ago. Nothing to see here now except a bunch of computers."

Avery shoved Paulsen aside. It was obvious that he was angry about the breach of protocol. However, now that the cat was out the bag, his demeanor changed. He seemed to relax a little and addressed them more casually. "That's right. The Director himself ordered their relocation after they awoke from crystal stasis."

"They're awake?!" Both Serah and Noel shouted in surprise.

"Yes," Avery replied honestly, though he took note of their reaction. "You can find them in the holding cells on floor 37, A-wing. Do you know how to get there?"

"I think we can manage," Noel said quickly, knowing that Sazh would navigate for them. They hurried back into the elevator before the guards could change their minds.

"Thanks for your help!" Serah called over her shoulder.

As soon as the doors of the elevator closed, Avery reached for his comm device.

"You don't think they were spies, do you?" Paulsen asked sullenly, aware that he'd be reprimanded for his outburst.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Avery responded, dialing the Major.

"Major, you have incoming traffic to the holding cells. One male, around six feet tall, brown hair, goes by the name 'Commander Yohan Flint'. The second is female, 5'5" with blond-ish hair, named Dr. Ardea Takeda… Yes, that's right. They were looking for the crystals. Of course, I'll tell him. Over and out."

Paulsen watched Avery put away his comm device apprehensively. He wasn't looking forward to the lecture he was about to get. But Avery surprised him with a punch to the stomach.

As his partner doubled over in pain, Avery smiled and said "Good work."

* * *

Twist the lion's tail - (idiom): to tax the patience of, or provoke, a person, group, nation, or government.

* * *

Sergeant Evans quickly made his way through the building to the Director's office. He knew the Academy well enough not to expect to be seen right away, and was prepared to wait unnecessarily to see Director Vulcan. However, when he knocked on the door, he was greeted by Director Vulcan himself. It took Evans a moment to wipe the astonishment off his face, while the Director stood in the half-opened door impatiently.

"What?"

"Director Vulcan," Evans started hesitantly. "I was just going to schedule a meeting with you. I'm fine with talking to Ms. Valencia if you're busy."

The Director raised an eyebrow at the mention of his secretary's name. "Why do you need a middle man? What do you want?"

"I, ah…" Evans tried to regain his composure. "Sergeant George Evans, leader of the volunteer Beast Tamer Initiative. I wanted to schedule a debriefing on the recent mission to the Soloch ruins, Sir."

"Soloch, eh?" Bero considered him with interest. Then he stepped back, opening the door fully. "Please come in."

Sergeant Evans walked past the Director into the room, hearing the the door shut and lock behind him. Evans sat in one of the comfortable chairs that faced his impressively ornate and slightly intimidating desk. It was strange to imagine a piece of furniture speaking, but if this one did, it would say "I'm the boss." Even with such a desk, the Director didn't sit behind it, instead standing in front of the large picture window. His dark eyes gazed out onto the city, in a way that said he wasn't the least bit interested with what he saw. He watched the people of Academia far below like they were nothing but ants.

He didn't bother turning around as he addressed Evans. "I don't have much time before I have to get down to the next meeting. So, _briefly _tell me about the mission. I wasn't the director when you were sent out, so I'm a little fuzzy on the details. First, what were your objectives?"

Evans cleared his throat. "The Soloch ruins are believed to be an ancient Farseer city. The Academy wished to study the ruins in search of a piece of ancient technology called the 'Oracle Drive'. However, the area was overrun by feral beasts and excavation was put on hold until it was safe for the researchers. Our team of skilled volunteers was to clear the area of creatures so that the research could continue."

"Right… the Oracle Drive… a recording of the prophecies of the Seeress, correct?"

"Yes, Director."

"And what is the status of the mission? Did they find it?"

"No, Director. The mission was disbanded when five members went missing."

Bero faced him, clearly agitated. "Missing?! What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Evans replied carefully, not wanting to provoke the Director unnecessarily. "One of the Academy volunteers, Dr. Ardea Takeda, attacked me during the mission. She and two others, Blaze Pitman and Flint Westerbrook, stole the airship and disappeared. Around the same time, another strike team went missing. I led the remaining member back to Academia by airbus."

Bero paced behind the desk. "This Dr. Takeda, did she indicate why she chose to attack you?"

"No, it was completely out of the blue."

"Where did they take the airship? Did you track their comm devices?"

"Yes. They were flying towards Nautilus before the signal disappeared off the grid."

"Hmm," the Director mumbled, deep in thought. "Who were the other two that went missing? Were they Academy?" Though it was subtle, Evans noticed the increased interest in his voice.

"No. They were two civilians named Serah Farron and Noel Kreiss."

"And their comm devices? Were you able to locate them?"

_They're right under your nose_, thought Evans. But telling the Director was out of the question. There was something about Bero Vulcan that Evans couldn't help but distrust. "No. They're still missing."

* * *

Den - (bible connotation): a recess for secrecy "in dens and caves of the earth" (Heb. 11:38)

* * *

Serah and Noel took the elevator all the way up to floor 37.

"I can't believe they woke up…" Serah muttered in shock.

Noel nodded distractedly. He held his chin as he went through the details again in his head. "Doesn't it seem strange that Fang and Vanille suddenly broke their crystal stasis?"

"Well, it isn't that sudden, Noel," Serah clarified. "They've been crystallized for 500 years."

"I guess I don't know much about them, now that I think of it," Noel admitted.

"I heard most of what I know from Sazh, who was pretty close to Vanille back then. Apparently, they've come out of stasis once before. The first time they tried to complete their Focus, only Fang became Ragnarok, and so they were unable to destroy Cocoon. They were crystallized for 500 years that time as well. When the Pulse Vestige appeared in Bodhum, they woke up. The second time they completed their Focus by both becoming Ragnarok. That was when Cocoon became encased in crystal. They both protected the planet from crashing into Pulse and damaged it severely in the process."

"But now that Cocoon is completely destroyed, why did Fang and Vanille wake up?" Noel paced the small elevator. "If their crystal stasis was tied to the fate of Cocoon, it would have made more sense if they woke up the moment it was destroyed. But it's already been nearly four months. So my question is: why now?"

Grasping at her own experience for inspiration, Serah said, "When I came out of stasis, I somehow knew that the goddess was thanking me and my friends for helping save Cocoon. Couldn't something similar happen to them?"

"But that wouldn't work because the goddess is dead, remember?" Noel replied flatly.

They were fast approaching their floor.

The roundabout reasoning was making Serah's head spin. _Wasn't it enough that they were back?_ "We'll just have to ask them ourselves, right?"

Noel shifted his feet restlessly. "Right." There was no point in dwelling on it, but he felt that something was odd about Fang and Vanille's return. It was almost _too_ convenient.

With the mention of "holding cells", Serah couldn't help but picture floor 37 as some sort of dungeon. However, when they stepped out of the elevator, there was nothing different about this floor from the others they'd seen. With Sazh's directions they hurried through the brightly lit hallways, a maze of lefts and rights until they arrived in front of an unmarked door.

"According to the floor plan, the room beyond that door is huge. It's got to be the holding cells."

Noel tested the door handle. Locked. He knocked three times and waited.

"Who's there?" came a male voice from the other side.

"Commander Yohan Flint and Dr. Ardea Takeda."

The door opened to yet another hallway lined with doors on either side. The doors were made of a transparent material so they could see into the first few cells. In the first room on the left was a woman with long dark hair. Her body was curled up over her knees so that her face wasn't visible. Standing behind the door of the first room on the right was concerned-looking Vanille, her hands pressed against the plexiglass.

"Vanille!" Serah shouted happily as she spotted the redhead.

The guard that had opened the door stepped between them, so that Vanille was blocked from view. In a glance, he confirmed their appearance to match the description the Major had givien him. He'd been ordered to disarm and detain the intruders until the Director was informed. Without a word, he grabbed Serah's shoulder, pulling her against him and placing his pistol against her temple.

The suddenness of his movement left Serah helpless to resist and she found herself caught in his grasp.

Thankfully, Noel's hunting instincts remained as sharp as his dual swords. As the guard took hold of Serah, Noel side-stepped into the man's blind spot. Before Serah could even worry about becoming a hostage and ruining their plan, Noel's fist crashed against the man's skull. The guard dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Noel shrugged in response to Serah's look of surprise. "It'll be easier this way."

Vanille looked over to them. "Serah, oh gosh, it's good to see you!" she gave them a strained smile. "Quick, we've got to get Fang out of here. The keys are in the guard's pocket."

Sazh came in over the radio. "The cells are monitored by the computers to your right. You'll need to deactivate the holding cells before you can unlock them, otherwise the alarm will sound."

Noel looked for the keys while Serah accessed the computer.

"What's going on, Vanille? Why did they lock you up?"

"It's the Director, Serah. He's Fal'Cie!"


	19. Mythical Debriefing

_**Author's Note:**__ I based all the mythical stuff on what I've read on wikipedia and the Final Fantasy wikia. _

_Story: Moving on... Without you_

_Chapter Summary: Just who is Bero Vulcan? It was obvious from their silence that they didn't understand the gravity of the situation.  
_

**Chapter 19: Mythical Debriefing**

**[Day 21]**

* * *

Myth – (noun): a story about superhuman beings of an earlier age taken by preliterate society to be a true account, usually of how natural phenomena, social customs, etc., came into existence

* * *

"What?!"

"Director Vulcan is a Fal'Cie?"

_No, not quite_, thought Vanille, shaking her head as if that would clear their misunderstanding. "Not _a_ Fal'Cie. He _is_ Fal'Cie. God. What we call the 'Maker'."

Noel and Serah both stopped what they were doing, their mouths agape.

Vanille shied away from their stares, leaning back against the wall uncomfortably. She avoided their eyes, focusing instead on her finger as she slid it down the clear walls of her cage. It was obvious from their silence that they didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

In a timid voice she asked, "Do you know the creation myth?"

Neither of them answered right away. The situation was too impossible to process. Preoccupied with the well-being of her friends, gods and myths were the last thing on Serah's mind. However, the tormented look on Vanille's face was reason enough to indulge her in the topic of conversation.

"I don't know the details, but supposedly there was a god that created the universe, and then left the Fal'Cie to watch over it," Serah said slowly.

Still crouching next to the unconscious guard, Noel nodded in agreement. "I heard something to that effect. But I thought Etro, the goddess, created the human race."

The redhead heaved a sigh of relief at their supportive answers. If they were willing to listen, it could be done.

Placing a finger against her cheek, Vanille seemed to collect her thoughts. "You're both right! Let me explain:

"In the beginning there were two gods: Mwynn and her son Bhunivelze," she lectured, holding up one finger on both hands. "Together they created the universe as we know it; what is called the Mortal Realm or the Visible World. But Bhunivelze was a greedy god, wanting to rule over the world alone. So he killed his mother.

"It's alright though," Vanille said with her girlish charm, trying to lighten the mood of the story. "Mwynn was very powerful and managed to escape to an alternate dimension: the Unseen Realm. When Bhunivelze realized what Mwynn had done, he feared that his mother had placed a curse on the Mortal Realm as she left. He created the first three Fal'Cie: Pulse, Lindzei and Etro to help him find and rule over both realms.

"Bhunivelze gave the Fal'Cie power over the Mortal Realm. Pulse's job was to find a way to enter the Unseen Realm, and in his search he constructed the world that we see today. Lindzei was to watch over Bhunivelze, who entered a crystal slumber, and to wake him when the door to the Unseen Realm was found. Both Pulse and Lindzei created their own baby Fal'Cie to help them out! However, when mean ol' Bhunivelze realized that he'd made Etro in the image of his mother, he gave her no powers or responsibilities. Without a purpose to drive her, Etro became depressed and killed herself.

"By her blood, Etro unknowingly created the human race. As she slipped into the Unseen Realm, she met a weakened version of Mwynn. You see, the Unseen Realm is filled with chaos energy and, over time, Mwynn had become corrupted by it. With her last breath, she warned Etro to protect the balance between the realms but Etro didn't understand her warning.

"Alone in the Unseen Realm, Etro could see the whole timeline. She watched the humans that she'd created by accident and felt sorry for them. Worried their lack of purpose or destiny would drive them to despair, like she had been, she gifted each human with a small piece of chaos - what we call our spirit. That way, when we die, the chaos inside us is drawn back to the Unseen Realm and we can join her in Valhalla. This act spread the chaos energy between the two realms and restored the balance to the universe."

Looking up at Serah and Noel to gauge their reaction, Vanille concluded, "So that's the back story."

* * *

Debrief – (verb): to question formally and systematically in order to obtain useful intelligence or information

* * *

A silence filled the Director's office, the tense atmosphere at odds with the warm golden bands of sunlight that streamed in from the window. Evans wondered how much of Director Vulcan's responses were an act. He seemed to know more than he let on, as evidenced by his knowledge of the Oracle Drive. Even though the sergeant was an official Academy member, it seemed like the Director was withholding information from him. Evans decided to test the waters between them, hoping to move beyond the charade and get to the bottom of the mystery of the false mission.

"After returning to Academia, I went to access the mission log for the Soloch ruins to update its status. However, the mission request was missing in the database. Furthermore," Evans paused for effect, keeping eye contact with the Director. Bero was watching him just as closely. "There was an entry for a mission to the Soloch ruins that occurred more than 30 years ago."

"Oh?" Bero intoned, his face blank.

Again, the reaction didn't line up. Evans expected him to demand answers, question his competence or begin an internal investigation. Instead he was met with mild curiosity. _He already knew but he isn't willing to admit it. _

"I believe that the mission might have been a cover story for Dr. Takeda," Evans suggested, fishing for information.

"To do what, exactly?"

_Of course he wouldn't bite so easily_. "I'm not sure yet. I was hoping you could shed some light on the subject," he replied deliberately.

Director Vulcan turned away, clasping his hands behind his back. For a while, Evans feared he'd pushed too far. He was forcing the Director into a corner where he'd have to admit that he knew about a falsified mission and the actions of a rogue officer. If he was lucky, Bero would tell him everything. But if he wasn't… well he'd heard the holding cells of the Academy weren't too uncomfortable.

"What do you know about the Seeress, Sergeant?" Bero said at last.

There, in his tone, Evan heard the Director relax. The simple question was filled with a wistful air that didn't fit with his first impression of the Director of the Academy.

"I understand that she had precognitive abilities and that the Farseers revered their Seeress as a conduit to the goddess."

"Pre-cise-ly," Bero said, drawing the word out over three syllables. What had started as a brief debriefing had now taken on the comfortable pace of an academic discussion. "But did you know that each Seeress looked identical to the last? That the one they called "Yeul" was reincarnated hundreds of times, across thousands of years?"

"No. I can't say I know much about the tribe."

"Well, I can tell you that one of the objectives of the Academy is to possess this ability of precognition for the sake of the people."

_Aha, finally some answers!_ thought Evans.

"Additionally, it seems that this "Yeul" is able to pass though death into the Unseen Realm and back. Of course, some disagree with my theory, claiming her appearance and abilities are the product of genetic selection. Still others say that she is a being blessed by the goddess. The Academy has been searching for the Seeress for years now so we could, once and for all, prove which theory is correct. However, we have yet to find her.

"This is classified information, but there have been rumors of another human who can see the future. Like Yeul, she seems to have existed across hundreds of years. However, she looks nothing like the Seeress of the Farseers. If we could get our hands on either one of the Seeresses, we could determine whether or not they have access to the Unseen Realm."

"The 'Unseen Realm'?" Evans questioned, feeling like he was missing a part of the conversation.

"Yes. A realm on a different plane of existence from our world. We exist in the Mortal Realm, which is governed by a strict set of natural laws such as gravity and time. The Unseen Realm has no such laws. And so, it is a world of infinite possibilities, where time and matter are arbitrary. In the Unseen Realm lies the power to control both worlds – the material and immaterial. Some call it the afterlife, while others call it 'Heaven' or 'Valhalla'.

"If the Seeress has cheated death and through her reincarnation has gone between the realms and back, she could be used to access the Unseen Realm and the power that lies within."

Evans watched in apprehension as a dark shadow of greed slipped across Bero's already black eyes.

* * *

"So if I understand correctly," Noel said, now seated on the unconscious guard's back, "A greedy god named Bhunivelze killed his mother and became a crystal while some other gods are looking for the door to Valhalla."

The vivacious woman in the holding cell nodded excitedly.

Noel scratched his head, trying to organize his thoughts. His eyes drifted to the door through which he and Serah had walked into this crazy scenario. To him, it made absolutely no sense. _Why would the Creator bother with mundane human affairs such as the Academy? _

"I still don't understand what that has to do with Bero Vulcan."

"Like I said, Director Vulcan is the Maker. He _is_ Bhunivelze!"

Vanille noted Noel's vacant expression and tried to approach the matter from a different direction.

"When the Heart of Chaos inside Caius Ballad was destroyed, the goddess Etro died, right? Well, with no one to guard the gates to the Unseen Realm, it was like a dam broke. The chaos flowed out, unrestrained, into our realm. The Fal'Cie Pulse sensed the chaos energy and sent Lindzei to awaken their master. However, just as Bhunivelze came out of crystal stasis, the chaos was pulled back and the door to the Unseen Realm was slammed shut."

"But if both Etro and Mwynn were dead, then who was able to control the chaos?" wondered Noel.

"…Lightning?" Serah whispered to herself hopefully.

Though it had been brief, the last vision she'd had – the one that had killed her – was of her sister sitting on Etro's throne. Yes, it had to be. Lightning had saved her, pulled her out from the clutches of death, and given her a second chance. In fact, she'd given them all a second chance by halting what could have been the apocalypse. The more Serah thought it through, the more amazed she was at her sister's actions. After all, in her vision Claire had been smiling.

With a stronger voice she asked, "Was it Lightning?"

"You got it, Serah!" replied Vanille, pleased that Serah was following her explanation. "Lightning was the champion of the goddess in Valhalla. As such, she held within her a fragment of the goddess: the Will of Etro. When Caius fell, the Heart of Chaos within him was released and tried to return to the goddess. Soon after, your death released the Eyes of Etro, yet another fragment of the goddess. As both pieces gathered in Valhalla in search of Etro, Lightning collected the fragments into herself. In effect she became the goddess."

"Whoa, wait. Lightning ….is the goddess?" asked a very confused Noel.

"Exactly. Just when the world was getting overrun by chaos, Lightning closed the gate between the realms, saving the Mortal Realm from destruction."

Conflicting emotions clashed in Serah's heart. Was this how it had to be, with Lightning forever stuck in Valhalla watching over them like a deity? Was it selfish to want her sister to come back to the Mortal Realm? Couldn't someone else protect the balance of the universe? And more importantly, was this what Lightning wanted, or was it something she was forced into? Just as Serah had been willing to give her life to bring about a better future, maybe Lightning did what she had to because she saw no other way. It bothered Serah that, out of the millions of people who lived on Pulse, this responsibility rested solely on her sister's shoulders. How was that fair?

Vanille was still explaining the situation to Noel, who, despite having dealt with time-travel, magic, and alternate dimensions before, was having a hard time accepting that the creator of their world was now among them as the Director of the Academy.

"So as it is, Bhunivelze had awoken but his prize was ripped out of his hands by Lightning. He wants to control the Unseen Realm, but he can't find it."

"How do you know all of this? Where do you come in?" Noel questioned.

"When I was in crystal stasis, I could talk to Lightning. She explained everything."

Serah's head snapped up. "You talked to Lightning?"

"Yes, er - she says "Hi", by the way," replied Vanille before turning back to Noel. "Bhunivelze was mad. He looked for any way to communicate with the Unseen Realm. He knew that Yeul's reincarnation was tied to Valhalla, and with Caius dead she would be unprotected. So he took a human form and tried to use humans to find the Seeress. Also, Hope had been working on an inter-dimensional communication device. Bhunivelze demanded access to it, but Hope refused."

"And so he killed him," Noel guessed angrily.

Vanille nodded sadly.

"When he couldn't locate the Seeress, Bhunivelze woke Fang and me up from crystal stasis, tortured us and demanded to speak to Lightning," said the red-head, glancing at her friend unhappily. "I tried to lie to him, telling him I couldn't connect with Lightning… but he wasn't fooled. Until you came, I'd worried there was nothing I could do to stop him, and eventually he'd find a way to use _me_ to access the Unseen Realm."

_Their awakening wasn't quite so convenient after all_, Noel conceded, albeit relieved to hear the truth of the matter. "So he has power over all l'Cie, then?"

"As the Maker, Bhunivelze can do anything that the other Fal'Cie can. Meaning he can make l'Cie, turn them Cei'th and bring them in and out of crystal stasis."

"Is _she_ still in crystal stasis?" Serah wondered, unable to think past her sister's predicament.

"I don't know," Vanille said worriedly, biting her lip. "The last time I was forced into stasis, she wouldn't answer me."

Noel ground one hand into the other fist. Their situation was more desperate than he'd envisioned. "What can we do? How can we fight against the _Maker_?"

"I don't know," Vanille repeated, frustrated by her own lack of answers. "But he is limited by the laws of this dimension. So he can't alter time."

"There's got to be a clue in there somewhere," said Sazh, who had been listening to the whole story over the radio. Serah turned up the volume on her earpiece and held it out so Vanille could hear him. "It sounds like Bhunivelze was afraid of what he didn't understand. He thought Mwynn left a curse on the Mortal Realm, right? Couldn't we use that against him?"

"But the threat of a curse will only get us so far. The best we can hope for is for him to go back to sleep," Noel considered thoughtfully.

"Maybe the curse wasn't on the Mortal Realm at all," responded Sazh. "Mwynn died when she was corrupted by chaos in the Unseen Realm, right? So it's really the Unseen Realm that's cursed. I say we try to find a way to trap Bhunivelze there, until the chaos destroys him!"

"But how?" demanded Noel.

Sure enough, once they understood the situation, her friends were ready to help her achieve the impossible. Vanille listened happily as they discussed their options. It was just like Lightning had told her, mind-to-mind: if their friends got involved, it wouldn't matter that they were facing the Maker himself. If someone – or in this case, everyone on Pulse – was in danger, they would do whatever they could to help. Until now, she hadn't been able to face the situation and could only pray that Lightning was strong enough to keep Bhunivelze from destroying the human race. She hadn't believed that there was anything she or anyone else could do. Now she understood that they were infinitely stronger together than they'd ever be apart.

"We have no connection to the Unseen Realm," Serah pointed out.

"Sure we do," said Sazh. "Everyone does. Whether you call it a piece of the goddess or chaos or whatever, our spirit ties us all to the Unseen Realm."

Eyes widening at the realization, Vanille agreed enthusiastically. "That's right!"

"If we get enough people together, believing that it can be done, I think the chaos inside us could make it a reality," suggested the deep disembodied voice of Sazh.

His words sparked a memory from long ago. Vanille's own words bounced back to her, more meaningful than ever before. '_When prayers turn to promises, not even fate can stand in our way.'_

Without warning, the overhead lightning of the holding cells cut out and was replaced by a dull red light that pulsated in time with an ear-splitting siren. Serah and Noel exchanged a look of confusion, eyes darting to Vanille who held her hands up innocently, away from the door of her cell, and Fang who hadn't moved except to cover her ears against the noise. None of them had attempted to break into the holding cells as of yet.

"What's going on, guys?" Sazh questioned over the radio.

The answer they didn't have was cut off when a face appeared on the computer screen in front of Serah, startling her. A man dressed in an Academy uniform was projected before them, with enough stripes on his pauldron to appear important and undeniably of the military branch. His stern face filled most of the screen, so that even the fine black stubble on his chin was visible. At first, his eyes were hidden by the reflected light off his glasses.

"Warning, Intruders," said the man, his voice steeped with displeasure. "The holding cells are off-limits. Security has been dispatched to your location."

He adjusted his glasses, revealing the grey-blue eyes beneath, cold and unfeeling as steel. "Do not try to escape. Anyone caught fleeing the area will be shot on sight. I repeat: stay where you are or you _will_ be shot."

Now that the alarm was already activated, there was no point in using the computer to disable the holding cells. Noel grabbed the keys from the unconscious guard and quickly released Vanille from her cell.

"Fang, it's ok, we're getting out of here!" Vanille shouted over the siren as Noel fiddled with the lock on the opposite cell.

Upon opening the door, he and Vanille rushed in and supported Fang, each taking one of her arms over their shoulders. It was surprising to see the fiery Pulsian woman look like so much dead weight. _What had Bero done to her? _Serah wondered, watching them lead her out of the cell. Fang's head was still bowed, her long dark hair hanging over her face like a curtain, but when Vanille adjusted her grip, the jostling movement parted the curtain for a second. Serah found herself staring in horror at the unmistakable gnarled and hardened skin of a Cie'th.

Sazh came in over the radio, reading the situation as desperate. Using the blueprints of the Academy building he'd accessed with Evan's passcode, he determined the best exit. "Quick guys, if you head to the next door on your left, you'll find an office. Inside there is a concealed elevator."

Serah peeked her head out into the hallway. Red strobe lights bounced against the white paint of the currently empty corridor. The coast was clear for now. She held the door open for Noel and Vanille to carry/drag the incapacitated Fang out and then shut the door behind her. Down the hall to their left was the office Sazh had mentioned, and they managed to find the hidden elevator with ease. Who wouldn't think to check behind the bookshelf, after all?

Thundering footsteps of the approaching "security" personnel put Serah into a panic.

"What now?" she asked stepping into the elevator with Noel.

Having heaved Fang into the elevator, Vanille stretched out her arm to the number panel and pressed the top button [**R**].

"Going up!" she said delightedly.

The doors shut and the elevator shot up the remaining 113 floors like a bullet. The door swished open, accompanied by a blast of wind. Serah stepped out onto the roof of the Academy building, wondering what Vanille hoped to accomplish up here. Did it not occur to her that they'd be cornered? Shaking her head, Serah looked out over the city, the sky blazing blue in the clear sunlight.

As Noel exited the elevator, he saw Serah sway in the breeze. His legs had begun running toward her even before his brain could process that she'd collapsed.

"Serah?!" he shouted, fearfully aware of the symbol that filled her eyes.

It was unlike any vision she'd had before. In fact, it was more like what she'd experienced when she'd become a l'Cie: a flash of images, the roof, the sun, a box?, something black, a familiar voice, too quick to understand but enough to leave her feeling as though she'd learned something important. She came to in Noel's arms, his panicked face urging her to explain what just happened.

"I had …a vision… ish," Serah acknowledged, getting to her feet.

"What do you mean, 'ish'?" Noel demanded, "And how is that possible?"

"I don't know…" Serah trailed off, looking around. It was like the images she just was shown, the sun was at the same point in the sky, the roof… _Was it over there?_ She wondered, jogging back to the elevator, scanning the ground. _A black box… _

The others watched in confusion as Serah trailed her hand along the edge of the roof, where the shingles hung over the edge. By instinct, Noel stepped forward, worrying about her proximity to the ledge and the likelihood of her accidently falling off the roof. But Serah was careful and her sure footing didn't falter. One of the shingles moved as she touched it. With a small tug, Serah pried the shingle off the roof, revealing a small black box underneath.

"What the hell…?" Noel looked on in amazement as Serah jogged back to the group, box cradled against her chest.

Vanille's eyes lit up at the sight. "You found it, Serah!"

"Found what?"

Just then, the box started chirping. It sounded like one of the ringtones Hope used for his comm device. They all crowded around Serah as she opened the box to reveal a piece of equipment that looked similar to the transceiver Sazh had in his airship. Noel eyed the thing with distrust. Next to him, Vanille was nearly bursting out of her skin with excitement.

"Answer it, Serah!"

"Hello?" Serah said into the handset, feeling a bit foolish.

First there was only static in response. Serah adjusted the antenna on the box, folding it out and pointing it as high as it went. The crackling got louder until a voice rang out, startling the small group.

"Serah. It's good to hear your voice again."


	20. I'd rather pretend

_**Author's Note:** First off, a huge thanks to all of my anonymous reviewers! (Thanks to those who are signed in as well, but usually I try to PM those guys & gals.) Seriously, reviews make my day. Sorry for the long wait for this chappy… I feel bad because I am a cliffhanger whore. Don't hate meeee! I just want to point out one thing before I jump in:_

_Code Black = bomb threat (most hospitals)._

_Ok, enjoi! Oh, and can you guess where I got this chapter's title from? XD_

_Story: Moving on… Without you_

_Chapter Summary: A mysterious communication device, a familiar voice… how is this possible? Trapped on the roof of the Academy building, Serah and the others can only hope for divine intervention._

**Chapter 20: I'd rather pretend (I'll still be there at the end)**

**[Day 21 continued...]**

* * *

Pretend – (verb): to claim or allege something untrue; to make believe

* * *

The jarring tremolo of his comm device interrupted Bero Vulcan while he was explaining the power of the Unseen Realm to Sergeant Evans. The Director lifted a finger in apology and answered the call.

"Yes?"

"Director, it's the Major. There is a situation with the captives."

"What is it?" asked Bero in a bored tone.

"They've escaped."

Evans watched as the Director clenched his fist. Something about the conversation had Vulcan in a rage.

"Of course, why did I think I could leave anything up to you?" Bero muttered out of the corner of his mouth. Into the mouthpiece he said, "Well, what are you doing about it?!"

Refusing to be intimidated by the Director's tone, the Major responded quickly, "The security regimen I sent to the holding cells is currently investigating area. However, the increased traffic in the building due to the Summit will make matters more complicated. My men might lose them in the crowds."

Director Vulcan nodded once as he thought it through. The Major had a point.

"Right. Make an announcement: the Summit will be on hiatus until the captives are located. All Academy employees not involved in the search are to assemble in the plaza, effective immediately," he said in a cold tone. Then he smirked to himself. "On second thought, don't tell them about the captives. Use diversion Code Black."

The captives were invaluable as a connection to the Unseen Realm, so losing them was not an option. Though he was furious that they'd challenged his control of the situation by escaping, he'd be sure to prove to them that the Maker is not so easily outmaneuvered. The Summit could wait, as it was really a means to an end. If the first few meetings were any indication, humans were far from being able to contact or travel between dimensions. So, his best recourse was still _her_ – Lightning. All he needed was for her to open the gates to Valhalla… for any reason… he'd do the rest.

"Captives?" Evans wondered aloud. The half of the conversation he heard was enough to worry that Serah and Noel could have been spotted.

The Director's head shot up in response to Evans' question, as if he'd forgotten that he was still in the room.

"Yes, a trifling matter, really," he said with a wave of his hand that was in no way convincing. "Just a couple of terrorists."

The PA system broadcasted the Director's message over every floor of the Academy building. Bero moved back to his vantage point near the window to watch the commotion. As expected, the peons poured out of the building in waves of confusion and fear. Whether they understood or not was irrelevant, as the Director, _His_ word was absolute. A conceited grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. How he loved it when they obeyed.

* * *

Be – (verb): to exist or to live; to continue or to remain as before

* * *

"Serah, it's good to hear your voice again."

Hope's voice, though slightly distorted, was unmistakable.

"Hope!" Serah gasped, nearly dropping the device. A hand on her shoulder steadied her. Noel's wide eyes told her that he was just as shocked as she was.

"But how?" she demanded. Though she couldn't keep the skepticism out of her voice, she wished it didn't sound so harsh.

In her heart she wanted desperately to believe that it was him, that maybe he wasn't dead, after all. As much as Hope's murder hadn't seemed real when she'd returned to Academia, hearing his voice didn't reassure her, in fact it did the opposite. In this context was chilling – frightening, even. Like the tide coming in, the pain of loss that she'd kept at bay now washed over her again. It forced her to accept the truth: that he was supposed to be dead. She was not supposed to be able to talk to him ever again.

To her left, Vanille stood quietly observing Serah's reaction, while supporting a semi-unconscious Fang.

Hope's words tumbled out of the communicator like puzzle pieces, too fast for Serah to put them together in her state of shock. "What you hold in your hand is the inter-dimensional communication device I'd been working on for, well, as long as I'd known that Lightning was in Valhalla. After I saw the images of Light fighting Caius on the Oracle Drive back in 10 AF, I wondered if there was a way to send images or sound across the dimensional borders. Unfortunately, I had no way of getting a second device into the Unseen Realm, so it was an utter failure…"

Though she was listening, the words buzzed in her ears like _white noise_ while she contemplated death and what it meant to her.

"What are you saying?" Noel interjected, his thoughts taking a similar path to Serah's. "We were told that you were murdered!"

A sigh traveled across the invisible and incredible distance between the Unseen and Mortal realms, though it was barely heard over the wind.

"Yes, Noel, I'm dead."

The group on the roof flinched at the declaration. Hearing Hope say it so easily made it all the more shocking and surreal.

"Then how…?" Noel trailed off, unsure how to end his question.

"When I died, some of my blood spilled onto a communication device that is the twin to the one you hold right now. When I awoke in the Unseen Realm, the device was still with me. Blood, it seems, was the key."

It all sounded like nonsense to them. The looks exchanged between Serah and Noel spoke volumes to their incomprehension. Serah wondered briefly if this was also a vision, though she knew it wasn't. A glance in Vanille's direction didn't help the situation, as she only gave them a half-hearted smile and a shrug.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but my spirit exists in the Unseen Realm right now."

All the questions Serah wanted to ask Hope were floating around her mind like algae in the sea, each query globbing onto another until she could no longer separate them. If he was dead, then how can he be talking to them? And if he's talking to them through the communicator, then how does it work? And if she found the communicator thanks to her vision, then who sent her the vision? Serah recalled what Vanille had just told them in the holding cells and managed to latch on to at least one thought.

"Does that mean you're with Lightning?" she asked hopefully. "Can I talk to her?"

"No, Serah, it's a bit more complicated than that."

Right then, a blast of deafening sound rocked Serah's eardrums, causing the special comm device to screech with interference. Quickly pulling out her earpiece, Serah threw it to the ground as she fumbled with the volume knob of her radio that she had mistakenly left on MAX.

Sazh's voice came in, clearer this time.

"… something's going on in front of the building. The Academy employees are pouring out of the front doors as if their lives depend on it!" A jostling sound on his end told them that he was on the move. "I'm going to get a better idea of what's happening down there. I'll be out of contact for a few minutes, but I'll let you know what I find, alright?"

"Sounds good, Sazh!" Vanille chirped.

They heard him chuckle in response. "It's great to have you back, 'nille!" he said before he cut the connection.

"'nille?" Hope teased jovially. "Is Vanille with you? And was that Sazh's voice just now? What's going on over there?"

"I guess we have some explaining to do as well," Serah mused, looking over at Vanille with renewed amazement. It hadn't been more than an hour since she'd learned that her friends were out of crystal stasis, yet she had already gotten used to Vanille's perky presence.

"Hi, Hope!" Vanille squealed into the comm device.

"Hey, Vanille. I'm glad you were able to wake up!" With a thought he added, "Hey does that mean Fang's awake, too?"

The group grew silent, as they all glanced over at the once-proud and loud-mouthed Pulsian. Though both Noel and Serah had noticed that her face was half-Cie'th, neither had asked Vanille about it. Something about the way Vanille was ignoring it made it hard to bring up, as if the explanation was too terrible to say aloud. Now, they left her to field Hope's question, hoping to gain some information themselves.

"Mhmm," Vanille replied simply, increasing her grip on Fang's shoulder.

The dark-haired woman lifted her head. The motion was haltingly slow, as if it was painful. It seemed as though she knew they were talking about her.

"Is she with you? It's not like her to be so quiet!"

"Hgnn…" the muffled moan-like sound came from Fang, who struggled against her stiffened lips and immobilized face to communicate. "Hgnnopff…. Hnnowpf…"

"Stop, Fang," Vanille begged, aware of how difficult it must have been to say even that much. "You don't have to do this."

Still, the woman kept trying, her good eye closed tightly in concentration, while the other was sealed by rough rock-like scales. "Hnohpft… Hno-puh… Hoh-puh!"

"Fang? You sound…" his tone softened with concern. She sounded like she was relearning how to speak. "What happened, Vanille?"

Without Hope there to focus on, Vanille made eye contact with Serah as she spoke. "The Fal'Cie Bhunivelze tortured her… He wanted me to give him access to the Unseen Realm, to give him access to Lightning. He used Fang against me, slowing turning her Cie'th, one inch at a time…" Tears glistened in her eyes as she took in Fang's current appearance. "It was torture. She kept screaming… but he wouldn't stop…"

One of Fang's hands reached up to wipe her tears away, but her fingers were now bulky and misshapen, and she stopped short of Vanille's skin, aware that the appendage was too clumsy for such a gesture.

In an effort to give them some privacy, Noel walked away from the group toward the edge of the roof. The commotion that Sazh had mentioned was getting louder so that it was now audible from where he stood.

As Noel leaned over the edge to get a better view, a small remote-controlled news camera whizzed past his face by mere centimeters, the rush of wind blowing his bangs about. The camera was a cubic device, no bigger than a tennis ball and had "AAXS5" written on two sides. It circled around Serah, Vanille and Fang once and then the lens seemed to focus on Fang's face, flying closer and closer until Vanille swatted at it like a bug. Then it pulled back out of reach, refocusing its lens with an electronic whir.

Down below, Noel witnessed the appearance of multiple screens in mid-air, and was reminded of those he and Serah had seen in Nautilus when Hope's death was announced to the public. Sazh was approaching the crowd in the plaza, which had swelled in volume as the lay people of Academia wandered over to Academy HQ with curiosity. From his vantage point he was able to make out what the screens were displaying.

"This is Academia All-Access Chanel 5, bringing you live coverage of the Academy Summit," reported the female news anchor.

The video feed transitioned to display Serah, Vanille and Fang on the roof, with the designation "LIVE" at the upper left corner in red. The caption beneath read: "Scene at the Academy Summit".

"Initial reports suggest that the Summit was disbanded due to a bomb threat. Rumors are circulating that escaped terrorists were targeting the event, which is the first of its kind. All Academy personnel were evacuated until further notice.

Since the disruption a few minutes ago, our cameras have identified four suspicious individuals on the roof of the Academy building. Oh, are you getting this?" the anchor squealed with delight. Gasps and cries of fear burst from the crowd as the camera focused on Fang's disfigured face. "Here you can see the unmistakable evidence of a l'Cie turned Cie'th. The Academy has yet to comment on this footage, but these may be the rumored terrorists…"

Airships flew above the Academy building, circling like vultures. Fang's face was projected on the floating virtual screens from every angle. A video camera above their heads showed Serah and Vanille's panicked awareness of the situation, their angry shouts unheard over the drone of the airship's engine. Noel ran back over to join them, also shouting something.

The attention of the masses quickly swiveled over to the upper-story balcony where Bero Vulcan emerged and stepped up to the podium where he'd given his dedication address. He raised his hands in a silencing gesture and the commotion of the crowd fell to a low hum.

"People of Academia," he began. "We of the Academy have the situation under control."

People were shouting then, pointing up at the roof, as if he hadn't noticed.

"Yes, yes," he placated. "A security regimen is on its way to apprehend the suspects on the roof. We will continue the Summit within the hour."

Still, the people were not satisfied. They shouted their fears of bombs and traps that the terrorists might have left behind.

"Bombs?" he laughed. "You saw her face didn't you? They're l'Cie, in the flesh. They don't need bombs to harm you! They are the embodiment of weapons of mass destruction! The only way to deal with l'Cie is to destroy them altogether!"

Here the people cheered.

* * *

Evans was baffled. The news reporter, Vulcan's words… it was like the whole thing was a set-up to get the people united against Serah, Noel and the others. And the Director was using the fear of the unknown to his advantage. What did he have planned?

Evans discretely turned on his radio. "We need to do something fast, any ideas?"

The noise of the crowd around him made Sazh's words difficult to pick out. "I… idea." He seemed to cup his hand around his mouthpiece, so his next words were clearer, "Patch me through the loud speakers."

"What's your plan?"

"Let's tell them the truth."

Evans snaked around Bero Vulcan, searching for the wires that connected the microphone to the amplifier. The Director paid him no heed, intent on manipulating the fears of the masses against the only individuals that stood in his way.

He'd make the captives out to be dangerous criminals so that he could use them as he liked, without worry of moral backlash from the citizens. As he reigned in the people, he felt the reassuring wash of control return to him. Humans were so easy to influence. Bero had them in the palm of his hand once again. _Yes_, he coerced silently, _obey_.

"I promise that we – no, that I, personally will put an end to the l'Cie threat. The city of Academia will…"

All of a sudden his microphone cut out, giving way to a moment of static. The voice that followed was deeper, angrier and altogether different from the slick propagandist that preceded it.

"People of Academia," the voice said, startling both the Director and the crowd alike. Bero was looking to his left and to his right, searching for the source of the voice. "Director Vulcan is not what he seems. He'll have you believe that the people on the roof are terrorists, l'Cie, and altogether dangerous to you. But he has yet to provide any proof. Don't you find that strange?"

Bero eyed Sergeant Evans, who was once again seated in the office chair, looking confused but obedient. "Sergeant, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, Director. I didn't see anyone come in to the office. Maybe someone hacked the PA system?"

"Well, look into it!" the Director shouted, annoyed and out of his element. He would not just stand by while some nobody ruined his plans. When he made sure Evans was investigating the matter, Bero stepped back to the podium and raised his voice to an impossible volume.

"Who speaks out against your Director?" his voice echoed, without the aid of the loud speakers. "Can he not stand up and defend his allegations?"

People around Sazh were noticing his lips moving in sync with the mystery voice. A woman gave him an uneasy look before moving away from him, urging her daughter to do the same. A few young men also took notice. They rounded on him, ready to defend their Director with violence, if necessary. Sazh felt the animosity and started to back away from the mob slowly, all the while trying to get his point across.

"Bero Vulcan murdered the former Director Hope Estheim!"

"Well, there you go, people of Academia," the Director scoffed. "The words of a raving conspiracy theorist."

"Why did you want to be in charge, Bero? Or should I say 'Bhunivelze'?" The name didn't have the effect Sazh had hoped on the crowd, so he elaborated. "This man has lied to you. He wants you to fear l'Cie, when he himself is Fal'Cie!"

The chatter among the people rose with confusion. In loud voices, they discussed about what they knew about the Fal'Cie, why this mystery person was saying these things and wondered what the Director would do in face of the allegations.

Against the expectations of the people, a knowing and cocky grin slid onto the Director's face.

What was the use in hiding what he was? He'd control both realms soon enough, why not have a little fun? Besides, it infuriated him to let them think for even a second that they had any power over _Him_ – the Maker and creator of the universe.

"A Fal'Cie?" he chuckled, pushing aside the podium like it was nothing. The wood splintered when it crashed against the wall of the building. Waves of light wafted off his shoulders, his aura humming with power and destructive intent. "How dare you lump me with those weaklings."

Any anger directed at Sazh was immediately diffused as thousands of eyes looked up at Director Bero Vulcan, trying to make sense of what they were seeing. The image of the man they had come to know as Director, the short black hair, the intense black eyes, the tall stately frame clad in his signature dark brown jacket and black shoulder cape, was swelling, growing into something unrecognizable. His skin gleamed with an inner light, his body grew larger than the doorframe he stood next to, and continued to grow. Muscles rippled beneath his skin. His clothing stretched and ripped as he morphed into his true form.

Despite the changes, Bhunivelze did not become a monster.

It was with awe that the people beheld the Maker, for no living being had ever looked so beautiful.

Bhunivelze smiled and it was like the sun was shining on the people. "Isn't it better that I, Bhunivelze, am your ruler?" he soothed. "Aren't I much better than some mortal man preoccupied with his own desires and intentions?"

His feel left the balcony he'd been standing on as he levitated above the crowd. "With the powers I have, I could make your lives better, and haven't they been?"

Sazh gaped at the god before him, nearly losing his nerve. He remembered how peaceful it had been since Hope had died, how there had always been enough food and water and how graciously the Director had watched over them all, like a loving father. A happy feeling bubbled inside him, and for a moment he was lost in contentment.

However, a twinge of pain on his chest brought him back to reality.

At first he recalled that he hadn't taken his heart medication yet today, and secondly he became aware that the thoughts he'd just been thinking weren't his own. The days following Hope's death hadn't been happy at all, but filled with uncertainty, suspicion and fear.

"He doesn't care about us," Sazh yelled into the loud speakers, hoping to startle the people back to reality. "Sure, he's all-powerful, but he treats us like tools and playthings. He'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He wouldn't think twice about making someone you love a Cie'th, and he isn't above implanting thoughts and feelings into your brain!"

The last part rippled through the crowd as they pushed aside Bhunivelze's illusions.

But it didn't matter to _Him_.

"Why should I care about you humans?" he asked, more to himself than to any of the people gathered. It was stupid to waste time watching the ants crawl on the ground when there were more important things he could be doing.

He disappeared in an instant, teleporting to the roof.

"Serah Farron – Lightning's sister, right?" he said to the pink-haired girl. She cowered away, clutching another human tightly. It was pathetic and hardly what he'd expected from the kin of the new goddess. But if she was as weak as she looked, that would just make things easier for him. "I've been looking for you. I wonder, how long can _she_ continue sleeping when you're in trouble?"

Instinctively, Noel put himself between Serah and Bhunivelze.

"Oh, are you going to protect her?" Bhunivelze laughed.

Noel flinched. Their earlier discussion on how to fight the Maker hadn't helped in the least. No matter how evil His intentions were, He was still god.

"Careful," warned Vanille from behind them. "He has the power to turn you Cie'th!"

"That's right," smirked the towering Fal'Cie. "Does it frighten you to become a monster?"

Noel stood his ground. Serah stepped up beside him, facing Bhunivelze with her gunblade out. Their faces were set with an unflinching determination, as if nothing he said would make a difference.

"If you're not careful, your face will freeze like that," Bhunivelze teased, motioning to Fang as a demonstration. "Just ask her."

* * *

Rather – (adverb): more readily or willingly; sooner

* * *

When Bhunivelze disappeared, the people of Academia were left with a terrifying revelation: that their god didn't care about them at all.

This was the opportunity Sazh had hoped for, now he just needed to harness the spirit of the people.

"Bhunivelze just wants to toy with us," he shouted passionately. "If he wanted to, he'd level this city in a heartbeat. All our lives, wiped out without a thought. This isn't the kind of leader we want!

"But, thankfully, we have an alternative."

He waited until the noise died down. When it felt like he had the attention of everyone in Academia, he continued,

"The goddess will save us!"

"Pray with me: to the goddess on the throne of Etro – protect us from Bero Vulcan."

* * *

Serah narrowed her eyes at the Fal'Cie before her. She felt his divine presence like a heat wave, wrapping her in a warmth that didn't fit with his childish taunting. In the clutches of awe, she felt a physical compulsion to kneel before him. His beauty and power were beyond this world. Every fiber of her being felt like it was on fire, but that wasn't exactly right. It was like the world around her became dull, unimportant, but at the same time, she more alive than ever before. Was this what it was like to be in the presence of god?

Still, she stood her ground.

"Did I mention that I can kill you without moving a finger?" wondered Bhunivelze aloud.

The wind blew between them as they faced each other. The scene felt frozen in time, with Vanille and Fang looking on from a few feet away. Hope's voice buzzed through the comm device, which now lay discarded and forgotten on the tiled roof of the Academy building. It was like they were waiting for a signal to start the fight.

"Tch. Enough talk," Serah scoffed.

In a smooth motion, she flicked the switch on her gunblade, transforming it to gun-mode.

However, the switch caught. Halfway through the transformation, the blade detached from the weapon. Before she could react, the point caught her in the chest. She felt it then – the magic – she felt it shove the blade deeper into her body. She felt it press through her back. She felt blood ooze around the wound, heavy, thick, and red. She felt her body slow. She felt confusion. She felt pain.

She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Not much of a Seeress, if you didn't see that coming."

* * *

**A/N:** Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter! Also, there's a shout-out to another great story buried in this chapter (White Noise – by Shamera). Read it! If I could be so bold… I would like to end this story with 50 reviews. There are already 41, with about 2 chapters to go… Are you guys up to the challenge?


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